When unarmed teenager Michael Brown, Jr. was killed by police and left lying in the street for hours, it marked a breaking point for the residents of St. Louis, Missouri. Grief, long-standing racial bias, and renewed anger brought together residents and activists from across the nation to confront this flashpoint in a long history of injustice.

Their stories are the subject of Whose Streets?, a new film narrated by the artists, parents, teachers, and children of Ferguson working to counter the mainstream media headlines that characterized the protests as looting, fire, and mayhem. Their cell phone video footage and social media updates tell another story: as the National Guard descended on Ferguson, nonviolent organizers were met with military-grade riot gear, their right to peaceful assembly rescinded. As we approach the third anniversary of Brown’s death, the struggle persists and these young community members have stepped up to become the torchbearers of a new wave of resistance. For them, the battle is not only for civil rights, but for the right to live.

Sabaah Folayan @sabaahfolayan
Director and Producer, Whose Streets?

Damon Davis @heartacheNpaint
Co-director and Producer, Whose Streets?

Rashad Robinson @rashadrobinson
Executive Director, Color of Change

Opal Tometi @opalayo
Co-founder, #BlackLivesMatter
Executive Director, Black Alliance for Just Immigration

Jimmie Briggs @briggsjimmie
Award-winning journalist, public speaker, and author