In my new essay for the Daily Beast, I provide the history and context for the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson by giving a quick tour of essential reading for anyone hoping to understand race based police brutality, two tiers of law enforcement – one for whites, one for blacks, and the institutionalized racism of a criminal justice more criminal than just.

The inspirational and instructional sage of history and ancestry teaches anyone willing to pay attention about the complexities of the present, while putting some wind at the back of those marching for justice.

Read the essay here.