Michael Brown's Mother, Lezley McSpadden, In 3-Way Race For Ferguson City Council
Nearly five years after Michael Brown’s death sparked protests and a movement over police treatment of African-Americans, his mother, Lezley McSpadden, is running for a Ferguson city council seat in the southern part of town where her son died.
“I hope that people will see that I’m still standing after all that I’ve been through,” McSpadden said. “And I’m still fighting. And I will always be a voice for Michael Brown and all of our other black and brown children who are being mistreated and who have been up against police brutality.”
McSpadden doesn’t face a clear path to a three-year council term in the city’s 3rd Ward. She faces an incumbent, Keith Kallstrom, with extensive experience on the council. And McSpadden must also get past Fran Griffin, who has support from residents that have pushed for change in Ferguson’s government.
After her son’s death, McSpadden became an advocate for overhauling policies around law enforcement — including testifying for a Missouri Senate bill to make police body cameras more widespread. She also wrote a book about the aftermath of her son’s death and also worked on federal mental health legislation with Howard University.
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