Michael Brown

The decision not to indict the police officer that killed Missouri teenager Michael Brown has led to rallies across the country, including several here in Washtenaw County.  Members of By Any Means Necessary believe racism is a problem in police departments across the nation.

An Eastern Michigan University social work major recently found herself on stage in Ferguson, Missouri.  She ended up speaking to 3,000 people at an interfaith convention.

Adrienne Ayers is a senior from Detroit, where she is also a community activist.  She says she went to Ferguson recently to find out what was going on, and to offer her support. 

Ayers and two companions walked into the convention, and were shocked to find a panel of celebrities and activists simply re-hashing what had happened. 

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office is working to build community trust in an effort to prevent something like the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri from happening here.   Sheriff Jerry Clayton and Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto Wednesday night spoke with concerned community members at a public meeting prompted by events in Ferguson.

Sheriff Clayton told a crowd at Ann Arbor's Church of the Good Shepherd that an organizational culture that recognizes biases and can thus avoid them is also needed. 

The shooting by police of 18 year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri should have us all worried about the expansion and militarization of law enforcement.  That's the position of a University of Michigan student group that's holding a public meeting Thursday night.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality wants to examine the fundamental political questions raised by the shooting of the un-armed black teen.