Boston Residents, Leaders React to Unrest in Ferguson

We may be more than a thousand miles away from the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, but in Boston, there are many residents who can empathize with the pain and frustration felt following the grand jury decision to not indict Police Officer Darren Wilson, who’s white, in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, who was black.

"I think it’s a disgrace that he wasn’t faced with some type of punishment because it’s factual that the young man didn’t have a weapon, so you don’t just shoot people who don’t have weapons," Boston resident James Horton said.

"It’s unacceptable but at the same time people have to understand the seriousness of the situation, if that would have happened here it would be the same thing," Boston resident Barry Neal said.

Community leaders say while they’re thankful it did not happen here, they’re mindful that they need to keep people engaged in meaningful discussions about what can be learned from Ferguson.

"We’re fortunate this city to this point that there’s been no response to Ferguson but the tension is here just like any place else," Sadiki Kambon, director of the Black Community Information Center, said.

Boston NAACP President Michael Curry says the key to creating something constructive out of all this is channeling the anger and emotion felt here into something tangible.

"Ultimately we need to mobilize these people who feel disenfranchised, who don’t feel represented, who don’t feel like the criminal justice system represents them and then they need to show up and vote," he said. 

Officials talk about how the city is working to build better relationships between police and residents.
Contact Us