Following a court decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of teenager Michael Brown, the city of Ferguson, Missouri has seen widespread rioting and looting.
Last night, the white officer who shot dead unarmed black teenager Michael Brown resigned from the police force. Mr Wilson has been on administrative leave since the shooting on August 9th.
This image of a police officer hugging a 12-year-old boy which was taken before a rally in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday, is being shared across the globe.
The boy, Devonte Hart, was holding a sign which said 'Free Hugs' when he was spotted by the police officer who approached him and asked him for a hug, according to Buzzfeed.
A photo posted by johnny h. nguyen (@chambersvisuals) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:24pm PST
His mother, Jen Hart, posted this piece to Facebook: "I noticed Devonte was struggling. Tears. He wouldn’t speak. He was unconsolable. My son has a heart of a gold, compassion beyond anything I’ve ever experienced, yet struggles with living fearlessly when it comes to the police and people that don’t understand the complexity of racism that is prevalent in our society.
He wonders if someday when he no longer wears a Free Hugs sign around his neck, when he’s a full grown black male, if his life is in danger for simply being. I assure you his concerns do not arise from watching too much television, because we don’t have tv.
He draws from his own personal experiences and from the discussions we hold as a family about things/events that are going on in the world. As a mom raising black children, it’s undeniable that these concerns weigh heavy on my heart at times.
People don’t want to talk about racism. People do not want to dig to the root of the issue. It’s so much easier to stick to your belief and avoid engaging in dialogue with someone that you don’t share the same opinion/view/belief with."
