One year after the shooting and killing of Michael Brown, #FergusonTaughtMe has been trending on Twitter. Activists, faith leaders, intellectuals, and members of the movement have used the hashtag to explain how Ferguson fundamentally altered their racial consciousness.
Embedded below are a few tweets from Christian leaders who shared how Ferguson changed the way they do faith. Common themes among their tweets include the importance of embodying theology outside the church, the value of community in the fight against racial injustice, and the role of social media in movement building.
What did Ferguson teach you?
#FergusonTaughtMe that there is theological work to be done so that every living person is seen as a divine being with the right to live
— Rozella Haydée White (@rozellahw) August 9, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe I am not alone in the struggle for freedom. I found fellow sojourners in @BroderickGreer @CandyCornball @iammickyjones
— Jen Bailey (@revjenbailey) August 9, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe theology can and must be created and embodied outside the four walls of the Church
— Jen Bailey (@revjenbailey) August 9, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe that social media can be a force for collective truth-telling, education, and grief.
— Broderick Greer (@BroderickGreer) August 9, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe many things. It built me another family. It reminded me of that which was within us. I am thankful + remain determined.
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) August 10, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe Love makes you fearless. Especially when all you have to lose are your chains.
— Shane Claiborne (@ShaneClaiborne) August 10, 2015 #FergusonTaughtMe to ask God to give me the courage to love in the midst of injustice and to not just be a hearer but a doer of God's word.
— Claudia May (@ClaudiaMayPhD) August 10, 2015
Ryan Stewart is a teacher in Springfield, Mass., and graduate of Yale Divinity School. You can find him on Twitter @RyanMcStew.
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