Sacramento religious leaders recently returned from a trip to Ferguson, Missouri where they were helping that city’s faith-based community organize peaceful demonstrations and make connections with local law enforcement in the wake of a white officer shooting an unarmed black teenager.
Pastor Les Simmons, who was part of the delegation, joins us to explain the similarities and differences of Sacramento and Ferguson, and what we can do here to prevent the unrest happening there.
The situation in Ferguson has raised questions about the role of police in communities. In Sacramento, the police department is comprised of the following demographics:
Source: Sacramento Police Department Annual Report
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Photos surround the casket of Michael Brown before the start of his funeral at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, Monday, Aug. 25, 2014. Brown, who is black, was unarmed when he was shot in Ferguson, Mo., Aug. 9 by Officer Darren Wilson, who is white. Protesters took to the streets of the St. Louis suburb night after night, calling for change and drawing national attention to issues surrounding race and policing. (AP Photo/New York Times, Richard Perry Pool)
