Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Executive Religion Editor of The Huffington Post, published an article called “How These Righteous Religious Leaders in Ferguson Are Giving Us Hope“. An excerpt:
On the day Michael Brown was shot, Rev. Willis Johnson heard people chanting outside his house and followed a group of upset community members to the Ferguson police station where people were beginning to gather.
“There was a group that wanted to go into the police station but I said you don’t want to do that. I went over to the police station and negotiated with the staff to bring over some people with questions,” the Ferguson pastor told me.
Clergy and lay people have played a crucial role in Ferguson. Men and women, black and white, Jews, Muslims, and Christians; they have served as a point of contact between the community and the civic authorities; acted as a safety buffer between protestors and police, collected and distributed food, opened spaces for youth, and cleaned up after the protest. Most importantly, these righteous religious leaders continue to witness for justice for Michael Brown and against systemic racism and inequality.