Ferguson and Faith

August 17, 2015
Francis, a seminary professor and the wife of a pastor, finds the nexus of her book within the thoughts and emotions she experienced immediately after the shooting of Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old, unarmed black man, by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo. on August 9, 2014. Living in a nearby northern suburb, Francis was horrified by the incident and the police response to protests. She was especially distressed that Brown's body was left to lie on the ground for over four hours. Unsatisfied with the polarized reporting from traditional media outlets, she began her own research, interviewing 24 faith leaders in a search for guidance. Readers will see the evolution of pain and reconciliation in her subjectsâhow these individuals immediately reacted to the shooting, and then how they later became involved in the fight for justice. Francis has compiled impressively in-depth interviews with local leaders that explore the ingredients for effecting change in such a volatile, emotionally charged climate. Readers will find value in learning more about what Ferguson's first responders and community leaders witnessed, felt, and experienced in the heated aftermath of the death of Michael Brown.