Kenya Vaughn of The St. Louis American recaps Monday night in Ferguson:
“We called on a group of clergy to come out here tonight to highlight the immorality and to support youth leadership,” said Rev. Osagyefo Sekou of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plains, Massachusetts. “We’re not here to negotiate with the police on their behalf; we are here to stand with them to be in solidarity.”
He couldn’t have possibly known that four hours later the young protesters were standing on his behalf – refusing to leave the middle of S. Florissant Rd. until he was released after being detained by Ferguson Police late Monday night and into early Tuesday morning.
A former St. Louisan, Sekou has been commuting back and forth between his Boston area church for the better part of two months. Last night about a dozen faith leaders joined him. Many were young white ministers from the Episcopal faith, though the group also included Rabbi Susan Talve and Rev. Traci Blackmon.
Vaughn’s article goes deep into the details of the night, with these events shortly after 11pm:
Tempers flared from the police’s interruption of the prayer. Just as the tension reached a boiling point, Sekou kneeled before a group of young people to pray. He was carried off by police.
Young protesters refused to remove themselves from the street until his release….
“Can we have our preacher back please,” an elderly black woman said in the tone of an endearing grandmother. “We want our preacher back.”
(Captain Ron) Johnson and the Ferguson police on hand returned to an area towards the end of the parking lot, with no updates provided.
At 1:15 a.m. a figure was seen emerging from between the police cars. It was Sekou.
The crowd erupted.
The article ends with a bit of reflection on jail time, and a call for support a week from today:
“It’s been 51 days and I’ve spent more time in jail than Darren Wilson,” said a protester named Alexis, who has been on the front lines since Michael Brown was killed.
With a little more than two hours of detainment under his belt, so had Rev. Sekou.
In pictures on his twitter account, he would show pictures of the blood stained van where he was held.
“Once they take the fear of jail out of you, there’s nothing else. October 10-13 we are asking people to come and bear witness. We are asking more clergy to come risk arrest with us.”