The inaugural installment of In St. Louis is a snapshot. It is a look, through a variety of lenses, from a range of perspectives, at the impact that the killing of Michael Brown Jr. by Officer Darren Wilson and the Ferguson uprising have had on the St. Louis region, and how people, communities and institutions have responded to it.
It is not intended to be the definitive or comprehensive story of what has happened in St. Louis since then — it couldn’t possibly be. This movement has affected so many people, in so many ways, that capturing all of the voices, and all of the viewpoints, would be impossible. To tell this story, we have listened to people whose work we have seen first-hand, and whose experiences, perspectives and insights we believed would benefit others. Undoubtedly, there are people making an impact whose work we, and the region as a whole, are not yet aware of. We know there are also people whose experiences are a part of this larger story, but whose stories are not ours to tell.
Ultimately, this year’s stories attempt to shine a light on some of the work that has happened beyond the headlines — that slow, incremental work that is the foundation for generational change. Our goal is to challenge assumptions, encourage reflections and further dialogue. As the region continues to work toward racial equity, we hope the stories we share through this project, now and in the coming months, can be a helpful addition to the ongoing story of St. Louis.
— Eric Ratinoff and Nicole Hudson, August 2019