“That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up.” The crowd exploded as rap star Common recited the lyric from his most recent hit “Glory.”
Fists had pumped and heads had nodded for five hours by the time the headliner closed the “Ferguson is Everywhere” rap concert with Academy Award winning song from the soundtrack for the film “Selma.”
Few, if any, of those among capacity crowd that sweltered among the body heat within the Fubar Sunday night knew at the time that they would be returning to Ferguson in response to another officer-involved shooting.
Just outside the doors of the venue it was a different story. Protesters and organizers paced the sidewalk along Locust in Midtown on the verge of becoming undone. They scrolled their respective social media timelines sharing the sketchy information about the shooting while trying desperately to touch base with those on the ground. People coming out for fresh air either got wind of the energy and asked questions, or checked their phones and all but fell apart.
“No, no, no!” a woman screamed.
She would have to be carried off by other protesters who came to comfort her.
“I’m trying to decide if I should cancel the show altogether,” said Kayla Reed, protest leader and field organizer for the Organization for Black Struggle. “That’s where my head is at right now.”
Reed served as co-host and one of the coordinators of the concert. The show was to be a culminating celebratory activity for the “United We Fight” weekend of commemorative experiences offered by a collective of groups and individuals from the frontlines of the Ferguson protests on the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown Jr.’s death.
The music was to speak to the spirits of those who were gearing up for a full day of direct action the following day in honor of Michael Brown.
As she stood conflicted, those inside were aware that protests were underway in Ferguson – because Reed told them earlier in the night – but blissfully ignorant of the tragic turn that had taken place on West Florissant.
They were vibing to rapper Talib Kweli, a constant supporter of the Ferguson unrest who had organized the show and used his hip-hop heavyweight status to secure some big names for the free show – which also featured Bun B, Immortal Technique, Pharaoh Monch and Dead Prez.
Tef Poe, who made a name for himself on the frontlines of Ferguson, was on the bill as well along with fellow STL rapper This’l.
Poe was the most engaging of the opening entertainment by far of the impressive line-up. He hopped into the audience and bounced around the stage nearly to the point of heat exhaustion, only to get his second wind through a crowd surf session. And his stage show illustrated his natural ability to galvanize and energize – gifts he constantly applied in Ferguson.
Ultimately Reed and the others decided that the show must go on.
The decision to do so was for the best.
Even though the audience got their fill of encouragement and entertainment over the course of the evening up to that point
They had waited for hours to see Common. If they would’ve learned that he wouldn’t be performing – and why – emotions would’ve probably got the better of more than a few in the crowd who stood through blistering heat.
After seeing Kweli and the others blazed the stage, Common blessed the free show with a performance that was at least on par with those people pay for with songs like “Get ‘Em High,” “Testify,” “The Corner” and “Go” before his “Glory” finale.
After he was finished, Reed called all of the artists to the stage and made the announcement about the latest tragic turn of events in Ferguson.
Some sighed and shook their heads. Others stood stunned as if they didn’t believe what they were hearing as she fought back tears while breaking the news.
She gave the number to jail support and ushered them out with the Assata Shakur declaration that has been a staple closer at the Ferguson protests and direct actions for the entire year.
“Be safe out there, because if we lost one tonight, I don’t want to lose another one,” Reed said.
