This morning, the Ferguson police released the name of the officer that killed Michael Brown. But they also shadily are trying to say that Mike Brown was the “prime suspect” in a robbery.
Don’t believe the Ferguson police. I know you white people want to believe them, but you don’t know St. Louis.
If Mike Brown had been the “prime suspect” in anything, the Ferguson police would have released that information on Sunday, as a way of letting paranoid white people in West and South St. Louis county know that they had gotten another “animal” off the streets.
Welcome to St. Louis. And if you’re not a native, I can assure you that everything you thought you knew about my hometown was wrong.
I’ll start with some basics.
The St. Louis metropolitan area encompasses 2 states and numerous counties (14, if I’m remembering correctly).
St. Louis CITY is NOT a part of St. Louis COUNTY. St. Louis CITY is a county unto itself. (and only 1 of 2 cities that is not a part of a county) The city and the county separated in the later 1800s.
St. Louis COUNTY has 4 distinct areas (at least in native mind); North county, Mid county, West county, and South county.
Ferguson, where Mike Brown lived and died, is in North county.
Most minorities in the area live in North and Mid county, where the inner-ring suburbs are.
Whites have always been dominate in West and South county.
The Ferguson police are playing to fears in West and South county.
More later on the racial politics of St. Louis and Missouri.
If you’re interested in reading more, here is the New York Times from Tuesday
