ROSELAND — Corey Hardiman, a 23-year-old Roseland resident and aldermanic candidate, said he drove to Ferguson, Missouri, this week because he wanted to find out firsthand why so many people were enraged enough to take to the streets over the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown.
When he and three friends arrived Sunday morning, they got their answer.
"People in Ferguson said they are fed up with what's going on in their community and not having a voice for people to hear them," said Hardiman, who recently graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta. "They knew by protesting now it would give them the platform to be heard because the death of Michael Brown was receiving national attention."
Hardiman, who plans to run to represent the city's 9th ward, added that his group did not check into a hotel but walked the streets for nearly 30 hours talking to young protestors, which he said included rapper Jermaine "J Cole" Cole and actress Lauren "Keke" Palmer, who grew up in south suburban Robbins.
While there, Hardiman met with Antonio French, an alderman from St. Louis, who was arrested while protesting.
"Everybody that was protesting was under the age of 30. There were even Crips and Bloods gang members protesting together, which blew my mind because all we hear about is how these two gangs hate each other."
The shooting of Brown by a Ferguson police officer Aug. 9 has kept Hardiman up at night.
"I was devastated when I first heard about his death. I watched the looting and rioting on the news and knew then I needed to go there to talk to the young leaders about everything that was happening," Hardiman said. "What I found out is that Ferguson residents have a trust issue with the police much like we have in Chicago."
He said gun violence, the top killer of black males between the ages of 15 and 34, has turned into a national issue.
Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham, praised the protestors who have traveled from all over the country to demonstrate in Ferguson.
"Michael Brown, who I understand was not armed, was shot multiple times by a police officer. In my mind that is an execution," Pfleger said. "People are outraged over [Brown's] killing and have demonstrated their anger all week."
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