FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

An Outpouring of Support for the Ferguson Public Library

In the aftermath of the grand jury decision, more than 1,200 people have donated money to the public library in Ferguson.

​ Last night, a grand jury ​decided not to charge Officer Darren Wilson for the August 9 shooting and killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.

Following a smirking, rambling press conference in which St. Louis prosecutor Robert P. McCulloch announced the decision while sounding oddly like a defense attorney, protests  ​reignited in the city and around the country. (In response, riot-gear-clad Ferguson police ​launched tear gas at protesters.)

Advertisement

As a result of the ensuing chaos, schools temporarily  ​shut down. More than 100 area organizations did ​as well. The Ferguson Public Library did not.

"If the Ferguson-Florissant schools close, we will be hosting activities for the children," reads  ​a post on the library's Facebook page from last night. "We will do everything in our power to serve our community. Stay strong and love each other."

And  ​on Twitter: "Many other orgs closing. But we will stay open to serve people of Ferguson as long as safe for patrons & staff, up to 8p. Love each other."

Throughout this entire shameful ordeal, in which the people of Ferguson have been consistently instructed to remain calm despite a constant stream of  ​indignity and injustice, the library has served as a place where members of the community can help and support one another.

In late August, the Ferguson-Florissant School District  ​decided to delay the start of classes due to protests over Brown's killing, leaving students in limbo. Working with teachers and community volunteers, the library set up an "ad hoc school on the fly."

From August 19 to August 25—when the school year finally started again—the library opened its doors to students.  ​According to the Library Journal, 40 children showed up on the first day of the program; by the following Thursday, there were 150. Those who couldn't fit in the building were housed in a nearby church.

Advertisement

"This is exactly what libraries do every day," director Scott Bonner said at the time.

Last night, faced with the bewildering, infuriating spectacle of a hyper-militarized police force facing down protesters, Twitter users began pointing one another toward the donation page on the Ferguson Public Library's  ​website. The collective response was massive: In less than 24 hours, more than 1,200 people have donated money to the institution.

The huge outpouring of support has come as something of a surprise to the library's staff.

"I saw a number of tweets last night before I went to bed talking about donating to the Ferguson library, but when I got up this morning, it was much bigger than I realized," Scott Bonner told VICE. "It's amazing that people are so generous, and it's wonderful because it means that we can turn every one of those dollars into something that helps the community."

In addition to money, supporters are sending books from the  ​Powell's Books wish list Bonner and blogger Angie Manfredi set up in August. "It's a phenomenal thing because it gives us tons and tons of kids' books on civil rights and civic engagement and recovering from trauma," he said. "Those kinds of book purchases directly touch on what's going on."

Bonner told VICE that the library was "pretty busy" today, with the usual crowd, plus "a number of kids and a whole lot of volunteers." He continued, "Some people are just in doing their routines. We've got a lot of optimism, a desire to teach. And then we have a couple of people who have come in and just cried. They talk to me about what they're feeling about what's going on."

When asked about the dominant media portrayal of the Ferguson community, Bonner responded, "There are horrible things going on, and the tragedy and the fallout, but that's not the whole picture. Not even close. Ferguson is so much more than a place that's troubled—we're also a place where people support each other."

Follow Callie on ​Twitter.