Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Murder of Michael Brown

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black teenager who was shot and killed by Darren Wilson, a white police officer on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri.  

Brown’s death, and the subsequent grand jury decision that cleared Wilson of any wrongdoing, ignited global protests and calls for criminal justice reform and police accountability. Tragically, 10 years later, many of those demands for reform remain unmet. Studies show that Black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers.  

On the anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, Tides’ CEO Janiece Evans-Page issued the following statement: 

“The 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s murder comes on the heels of the tragic killing of Sonya Massey, a 36-year-old Black woman and mother of two, who was also murdered by a police officer after calling 911 for help. The two incidents illustrate that whether walking down the street or boiling water in their own homes, Black people are not safe from racial profiling or state-sanctioned police violence in this country. This sobering reality underscores the need for police reform and systemic changes in the criminal justice system. 

“At Tides, we are proud to work in partnership with organizations and grantees like Cities United, Alliance for Police Accountability, and Women and Justice Project who are working to transform our criminal justice system.” 

On this anniversary, Tides calls on the philanthropic sector to join us in moving resources to community organizations acting to end the epidemic of police violence against Black people. 

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About Tides  

Tides is a nonprofit and philanthropic organization committed to advancing social justice. It works across the social sector to shift power to communities of color and other groups historically denied power. Centering equity and justice in everything it does, Tides collaborates in deep partnership with movement leaders, nonprofits, donors, foundations, and corporations to amplify the impact of their work by providing services like fiscal sponsorship, donor advised funds, grant making, and a variety of innovative solutions. \

Media contact: tides.org/media-relations