exit came in response to a scathing report by the US Department of Justice. It detailed

rampant racial bias present in the police force and municipal court system. So how did

Ferguson’s racism get so out of hand?

Well, in 2014, a Ferguson police officer shot Michael Brown, an unarmed, 18-year-old African

American. Protests broke out across the country, prompting President Obama to order a federal

investigation of the events leading up to the death.

On March 4th, the federal report was released. It said that police and municipal court practices

in Ferguson had “establish clear racial disparities that adversely affect African

Americans”. Inappropriate slurs and unwarranted aggression were documented in e-mails and

interviews with victims. Ferguson city records showed that, from 2012 to 2014, despite making

up two thirds of the population, African Americans accounted for nearly all of Ferguson’s traffic

stops, citations and arrests..

So how did racism get so out of hand in Ferguson? Well, the report details that Ferguson’s

Police Chief, and all ranks of police officers, were heavily encouraged to increase city profits

through increased enforcement. This priority on generating revenue, was said to contribute

“unnecessary harm” to the community. Combined with an “existing racial bias”, as evidenced

by inappropriate e-mails and personal interactions, it exacerbated the abuse towards African Americans.

To eliminate and curb racial disparities the Department of Justice suggested 26 vital changes

for the police force and municipal court. Major bids were made to increase employee

training and diversity, police oversight, community youth involvement, and to encourage

police to use minimal force on calls.

The Attorney General, on March 12th, announced that there would be a new pilot-program aimed

at reducing racial bias in law enforcement for 6 selected cities. It is hoped that these

programs will improve trust between police men and women, and the communities that they

patrol.

If you want to hear an awesome story from our new show All Points Project, I really

recommend you go check out our latest video about Afghanistan’s Bruce Lee. That show’s

on our new Seeker Stories channel, and you can find a link to it right at the top of

the description. Thanks for watching TestTube, please subscribe.