The Ferguson Report. Part 1: Breathing While Black, and Other Offenses

It has been said that African-Americans are often arrested for “driving while black.” In fact, African-Americans seem to be arrested for walking, talking—or just breathing—while black. Here we present excerpts from The Ferguson Report, an astonishing catalog of grinding daily harassments, humiliations—and worse—by a police department intent on keeping a people “in their place” while earning revenue for the city by writing as many tickets as possible.

The Ferguson Report. Department of Justice Investigation into the Ferguson Police Department. US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. The New Press, New York, London. 2015