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Interview with Brian Fletcher
Former Ferguson Mayor Continues Crusade to Promote City’s Virtues
By Tom Anselm
If ever there was a guy who is bullish on the future of Ferguson, it would have to be Brian Fletcher. The Independent News recently talked with the former mayor of that city. He is currently spear-heading the extensive activities of the “I (Heart) Ferguson Committee”. This organization has risen in prominence as an enterprise that has reached 16 countries and 42 states with sales of its yard signs, coffee mugs, cozies, tee shirts and other items emblazoned with the committee’s signature logo. Sales may be the wrong word to use here, since all items are acquired through donation.
Recently, the organization has been fast-tracked to receive its 501c3 not-for-profit tax status. It recently sent a check from its proceeds for $5000 to Reinvest North County, a fund administered by North County Incorporated to help businesses who have suffered damages due to illegal activities surrounding the protests.
Unfortunately, this has all come about in response to the tragic events of August 9, 2014, when Michael Brown was killed in an encounter with Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Fletcher said he was greatly saddened by this tragic loss of life, and offers condolences to the family. But our conversation was not based on this terrible event and the protests that followed. It was more focused on what comes next, the future of Ferguson in particular.
“Ferguson is a very unique community. We have our own fire department, our own library, our own police department. We have a very diverse population, a thriving downtown area, a brand new community center in the northwest portion of the city, national businesses such as Sam’s and WalMart. You can find 24 different types of restaurants… the only wine bar and micro brewery in North County, an all-volunteer Farmers Market. We have a 50% cash reserve, new firehouse and renovations to the police station, a newly renovated 501 Plaza at the corner of Suburban and South Florissant Road.”
“We have been characterized as a ‘suburban ghetto’ by some press. This couldn’t be farther from the truth,” said the sincerely impassioned promoter of his home town.
Fletcher cited the recent nomination of the city to the competition of ‘All-American City’ as an example that Ferguson has been on the right path for some time.
He noted that what happened in August could have happened in any number of places. But it happened here and “we must come to terms with it. I have great faith that we will heal and grow as a result of the tragedy.” The former mayor also felt that there are larger issues that are driving some of the protests.
“We are sensitive to the concerns of racial profiling. Consider that there is a 70 percent African American
population in Ferguson, with surrounding communities and municipalities having even higher percentages. We have a lot of business in Ferguson that other local communities do not have, so there is a lot of travel into the city. If the rate of traffic stops is 80 percent African American, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is all Ferguson residents,” said. Fletcher.
He referred to a program to change the penalty phase by the local court that the city has had in effect.
“And we also have a program that is part of the Ferguson Youth Initiative, or FYI, “ formed under an ad hoc committee of the city in 2010 and administered by Dwayne Jones, the only African American council member of Ferguson, that helps teens work off their tickets through community service. “It came about because of our involvement in the All-American City nomination. Some of (the youth) who have been part of this program have become supervisors and gotten paid to work in this program, and some have been hired by Ferguson businesses as a result of this,’ he said .
He hopes that the narrative that is going on will someday become a catalyst to promote positive change and a better way of life for all cultures in the region.
Fletcher has been doing interviews in over 60 national and local news outlets during this ordeal.
He was optimistic, but realistic as well when he said “it will take lots of dialogue and conversation, lots of action. But it’s not going to change overnight.” He further noted that there is only one African American member of the city council at present, saying that he has hopes that more representation can happen, but only if more people “put themselves forward for these positions.”
As a result of many donations of time and materials, the ‘I (Heart) Ferguson Committee’ will move from its temporary location in the Corner Coffee House to a storefront at 299 South Florissant Road across from the Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant. The grand opening will be on Friday, Oct. 24, at noon. “We will be giving another $5000 to Reinvest North County. We are working to restore the good name of Ferguson.”
