Plywood, a reminder of Ferguson unrest, to be saved
FERGUSON, Mo. — The images of a boarded up West Florissant Road in Ferguson serve as a reminder of the unrest in the aftermath of the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case.
On Nov. 24, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch announced that the Ferguson grand jury did not indict white police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Brown, an unarmed black man. That night, many stores were set on fire as angry protesters filled the streets.
Days later, members of the community of all races and ages joined together to paint the plywood that covered many of the vandalized stores.
Some of the hand-painted murals on the plywood that protected businesses now will be preserved forever.
Ruth Brown has been a Ferguson historian for more than 30 years. Over the decades she's seen her city change, but never as much as it has since the Michael Brown shooting in August.
"I think it's the biggest changing force Ferguson has ever seen in its now over 120 years," said Brown.
After the shooting and the refusal of the grand jury to indict, there were scenes of chaos and unrest in Ferguson.
"Literally from the ashes rose these billboards, so to speak. These works of art that speak to our hearts and our minds," said Brian Fletcher, a former mayor of Ferguson and chairman of the I Love Ferguson committee. The boards outside the I Love Ferguson store were painted by local artists.
"The boards will be coming down sometime this week," Fletcher said, but not all of them will be thrown out.
"They're going to put some clear coating on them to protect the artwork," he said.
"I think it is important to keep at least what we can," Brown said.
The Ferguson Historical Society soon will take the boards from the front of Ferguson City Hall. Brown said the symbolism of what they represent can't be overlooked.
"If you put them together, they are like two halves of a tree. And they could be symbolic of growth and change," she said.
Not all of the artwork will be saved, but some artists have captured some of the images on mugs that are on sale at the I Love Ferguson store. All of those proceeds go back into rebuilding north St. Louis County.
"We do believe this is a historic moment, especially for Ferguson," said Fletcher, who is encouraging businesses to take down their murals.