A collection of commentaries from Washington University faculty and other opinion leaders exploring the important issues raised by events in Ferguson.
Comments and respectful dialogue are encouraged, but content will be moderated. Please, no personal attacks, obscenity or profanity, selling of commercial products, or endorsements of political candidates.
A message from Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton
Among the great strengths of our university are the bonds that hold us together. During troubling times, we call on each other for support and look for opportunities to grow.
How to Make Black Lives Matter
Young people nowadays would stand to benefit from those of us with resources to listen to them, and to employ our assets in accord with their interests.
The Murder of Michael Brown
Brown’s death has become a marker: shorthand for an array of urban and suburban ills.
A call for civility in turbulent times
What we are experiencing is an American problem; we are in dire need of civility to move us to resolution.
Why Black Lives Matter Ought to Matter to Medical Students: A Familiar Message Revisited
The seemingly innate biases so many of us carry have not eroded — they still abound in our daily lives and the world around us.
Why the stakes are so high for the Black Panther
The stakes are high for Marvel and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates to do Black Panther well.
Ancient Virtues for Modern Times: Lessons from the Life of Martin Luther King
Stand up for righteousness. Stand up for justice. Stand up for truth, knowing that we all will be free one day.
Teaching + Living + Parenting in St. Louis a Year After Mike Brown’s Death
A discussion on the intersectionality of #BlackLivesMatter, living and teaching in St. Louis a year after Mike Brown’s killing.
Legislature must rewrite entire Juvenile Code
It is important for us to consider long-term goals. But it is also clear we need emergency intervention.
More Than Just Place: Ferguson and Beyond
There are many Fergusons on the horizon. Herein lies America’s challenge, as well as her opportunity.
Leading by example
The issues that affect us may be different, but no deed is too small if everyone is contributing to improve the world we live in.
Hope in Ferguson
Hopeless situations need not stay that way. But meaningful change requires more than structural fixes, legal fights, and opinion pieces.