FERGUSON, Missouri — The Ferguson City Council is heading for a historic election this spring. Less than a year since the nation focused on racial tensions in this small St. Louis suburb, residents will head to the ballot box with their first real chance to change local government.
After African-American teen Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer on Aug. 9 last year, national news outlets pointed to the lopsided racial makeup not only of the Ferguson police force but of the city government. While nearly 70 percent of Ferguson residents are black, five of the six members of the city council, as well as the mayor, are white.
But three of those white council members decided not to run for re-election in April. Eight candidates, four of whom are black, are now competing for the open seats. That’s an extraordinary number in a town that has seen only two black council members ever, according to Fusion. And since both candidates for one open seat are black, the city council is set to at least double its African-American representation.
Of course, reformers come from all racial groups — as do defenders of the status quo — but giving the majority of Ferguson’s residents a bigger voice in government seems like a positive step.
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In Ward 1, four candidates are running for the open seat — two of whom are black and two of whom are white. One of the black candidates, Adrienne Hawkins, blames the low turnout at the most recent city council meeting on a loss of hope.
“I don’t believe that the community is giving up. I believe they are possibly losing hope that change is coming. That’s why I chose to run for city council,” she said.
Hawkins took a long pause, getting teary-eyed. “I don’t ever want any of our young people to lose hope,” she said. “We can’t give up even though we all are a little worn, but never tired. We have to keep fighting for change.”
This story was published as part of a partnership between The Huffington Post and The St. Louis American, which covers the St. Louis region’s African-American community.
