What were the causes and long-term impacts of the Ferguson protests?

The Ferguson protests happened because people were upset about how police treated a young man, and it led to big changes over time.

Imagine you're playing on the playground, and someone grabs your backpack without asking, that feels unfair. Now imagine that person is a cop, and instead of letting it go, they hurt you. That's what happened to Michael Brown in Ferguson. He was walking with his friend when a cop grabbed him, and then he got hurt badly.

People saw this on TV, and they were mad. They went to the street to show they didn't like how the police treated Michael. This is called a protest, it's like when you stand up with your friends to say something isn’t fair.

What happened after?

Because people protested, more people started paying attention. Schools and jobs talked about fairness, and even presidents started talking about it too. It helped other kids feel brave to speak out if they saw unfair treatment. So the protests changed how police work and how people talk about fairness, that's a long-term impact!

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A teenager was shot by a police officer, and people started protesting in Ferguson.
  2. The protests showed how unfair treatment can cause big changes.
  3. People kept fighting for justice even after the protests ended.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Nothing here yet.