There are times when you have the feeling that justice will prevail. That slither of hope thickens to the point where you actually believe that just once, things will work out the way they’re supposed to. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case last night on social media as people eagerly awaited the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo.
Many on Twitter did very little to hide their pessimism. Even before Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch began his long-winded speech, people tweeted about not believing that Wilson would be charged on any of the five counts in the death of Michael Brown. And they were right.
The 12-person jury came back with a decision not to indict. No big shocker to many. But the decision still hurt like hell. Many took to the social network to vent their frustrations and sadness and the overwhelming sense that black lives may matter to black people, but not to others in this country.
https://twitter.com/PenielJoseph/status/537088842793484288https://twitter.com/brandisaid/status/537130235918311424https://twitter.com/FourthForum/status/537097785305481216https://twitter.com/brandisaid/status/537091450253885440https://twitter.com/SoloSpeaksTruth/status/537088384695795712https://twitter.com/Cloudy361/status/537085968315330562https://twitter.com/BlaqueMumba/status/537087144180072448
On the ground in Ferguson, various videos were posted after the verdict was read. As one person on Twitter stated, you have to wonder why they waited until late into the evening to read the verdict instead of when they received it hours before.
The reports of vandalism took over the airwaves after the verdict was read, but as Van Jones stated on Twitter, it was being done by just a couple of knuckleheads. Huffington Post Live host Marc Lamont Hill was able to capture various Instagram videos of the aftermath, as well as videos of Brown’s mother hearing the verdict.
Where exactly does Ferguson go from here? After the smoke clears, after the tear gas tanks are gone, after Brown’s parents are able to come to terms with the verdict, will Ferguson ever be able to go back to what its version of “normal” was, before that day on Aug. 9, when Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown?