FERGUSON, Mo.—Friday marks 10 years since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson. 

It's an altercation that sparked months of protests in the St. Louis region and the country and gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. The unrest had activists demanding an end to discriminatory police policies and calling for changes among other government bodies, including municipal courts.

Those concerns reignited in the ensuing years when federal and county prosecutors reviewed the case but declined to press charges against the officer.  

A memorial to the teenager has grown again as the date of his death drew near. It sits in the middle of Canfield Drive, where Brown died, and is where a moment of silence was held for him at 11:55 a.m. Friday. Other events honoring his memory include an art exhibit, a unity walk and community day. 

Michael Brown once told his father the “world is going to know my name,” words Michael Brown Sr. still takes to heart.

An organization started by Brown’s father is behind many of the events. The Michael Brown Sr. Chosen for Change Organization helps fathers, mothers and children come to grips with tragedy in their lives. It's a legacy he feels obligated to pass on under the name he shares with his son.

“He was going to shake the world,” Brown said of his son. "So, I guess that’s what we’re doing. He’s still doing the work from the grave.”

While there have been changes in Ferguson over the last decade, including a Black mayor and police chief, some leaders acknowledge race relations remain a struggle. 

Ferguson agreed to sweeping changes outlined in a federal consent decree following a Justice Department investigation and the work is still ongoing. The report raised significant concerns about how officers treated Black residents, and about a court system that created a cycle of debt for many residents.

Missouri lawmakers stepped in, too. In 2016, legislators passed a law limiting the amount of revenue that municipal courts could collect from fines.

In 2013, Ferguson collected $2 million in court fines and fees, according to data from ArchCity Defenders, a St. Louis-based civil rights law firm. In 2023, the city collected about $97,000 — a decline of more than 95%.

Chief Troy Doyle, who is black, was hired as Ferguson’s chief in April 2023. He was hired after several people held the position following Tom Jackson’s resignation in 2015. 

Doyle took to social media Friday to say the Ferguson Police Department stands transformed a decade later. He explained that with over 30,000 calls for service last year, less than 1% involved force. He said the department’s enhanced training in bias, de-escalation and use of force is clearly effective. 

Doyle called the department not just a remodel, but a complete rebuild. In 2014, there were only three Black officers and 50 white officers. The chief said over 90% of the department’s officers joined after 2014, with 50% of the departments now 41 officers being Black and 23% female.

The department also has a new uniform. He said the old gear evoked painful memories. The new attire symbolizes our commitment to renewal and moving forward.

“For some people who live in the community, every time they saw a Ferguson police officer, it brought back memories,” Doyle said. “I wanted to give us a new look, but part of that new look was to let people know it was a new police department.”

In the coming months, the department will also have an online dashboard to help track progress on the consent decree. 

Ella Jones was elected the city’s first Black mayor in 2020 and reelected last year. 

St. Louis County Municipal Courts have undergone reforms in the past decade.

The Ferguson Report, released by a panel appointed by then Gov. Jay Nixon following the unrest, revealed significant issues within the local justice system, including excessive fines and a focus on revenue over justice. 

Since then, the courts have changed their policies to: 

• create manageable payment terms for defendants
• provide flexible payment plans with no warrants for failure to pay
• offer payment extensions; assess only one set of court costs per traffic stop to create a system that doesn’t exploit people for revenue generation
• streamlined the bail and bond process. 

The City of St. Louis say one "crucial innovation" is the Economic Justice Action Plan. Mayor Jones' administration worked with the St. Louis Development Corporation on “a strategy to empower, develop, and transform the City of St. Louis through a vibrant, just and growing economy in which all people can thrive.”

The plan proposes an unprecedented investment in marginalized communities, particularly North City, and is comprised of three strategic pillars: economic empowerment, equitable & inclusive development, and neighborhood transformation, according to the city's website. 

The unrest following Brown’s death brought to light the economic challenges in the community. Efforts have been underway to create jobs and opportunities since 2014. 

St. Louis-based construction company Clayco, in 2015 created the Construction Career Development Initiative. Since then, 175 people have been placed in jobs in the construction industry. 

The Salvation Army and Urban League built the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center at the site of a gas station that burned during the unrest. 

This past July, the Centene Corporation and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis teamed up to open the new Centene Connection Community Center. The space will be used to connect the community with many services.

The current and former mayors of Ferguson often catch up over breakfast. They both acknowledge that race relations remain a struggle.

“The city is turning back,” Jones told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, according to the AP. “It really is. Everything here is along racial lines.” The City Council has four white members and three Black members, and little gets done, she lamented.

Former Mayor James Knowles says he too worries about public safety. He says many drivers flaunt traffic laws, knowing police are less likely to pull them over. 

He also believes too much money is being spent on the consent decree — money he believes would be better spent on fixing streets, hiring more officers and restoring crumbling parks.

There are others that agree there is more work that needs to be done. 

The Ethicial Society of Police, an association of police officers and civilians working to bridge communications between historically marginalized communities and law enforcement, released a statement acknowledging the progress made by the City of Ferguson over the past decade, but points to incidents like Sonya Massey's tragedy to remind us that much work remains beyond Ferguson.

Brown’s mother, Lezlie McSpadden, was on hand during Thursday’s Board of Aldermen meeting in the city of St. Louis, where there was a resolution to mark the tenth anniversary of his death and to acknowledge the work left to be done to address racial and economic injustices. 

“Ten years later, we haven’t done enough,” said Megan Green, Board President.

She explained that there’s more written in the Ferguson Report and other reports that say change is needed. 

“Because your son deserves to have those changes, and he deserves to in 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, be looking back and say because of that horrific moment St. Louis changed, the United States changed, the world changed and we are committed to that,” said Green. 

Her colleague, Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier echoed her conviction.

“I hope for a world where we don't have to get transformational change as a result of Black blood being spilled. And I hope for a world where Black mothers don't have to mourn their children and their sons in this way. And I hope that my work and our work can help us get to that world."