NPR’s Michel Martin returns to host ‘#Ferguson and Beyond' in St. Louis, Aug. 7

The community conversation with NPR's Morning Edition host will air on STLPR and nationally in August.

Aug. 9 marks 10 years since Michael Brown Jr. was fatally shot by a Ferguson police officer. The killing sparked unrest, activism and demands for reform both locally and nationally.

At a public event near the epicenter of the unrest, NPR Morning Edition host Michel Martin will lead a conversation with panelists and community members where we hope to look back and forward; to talk about what happened and why, and what has - and hasn't - changed in the last 10 years.

#Ferguson and Beyond: A Community Conversation 10 Years Later will be hostedby St. Louis Public Radio in collaboration with NPR to offer the public an opportunity for reflection and thoughtful discussion.

This conversation comes nine years after a four-hour long discussion with Martin, STLPR, and more than 200 people at Wellspring Church in Ferguson.

"The powerful community discussions Michel Martin led in Ferguson a decade ago were a breakthrough for many in the St. Louis region who sought to make sense of deep community pain, turmoil, and misunderstanding," said STLPR Interim News Director Brian Heffernan. "This event is part of St. Louis Public Radio's ongoing commitment to fostering meaningful discussions that get to the heart of our region's core challenges and solutions. Michel is uniquely qualified to moderate this conversation 10 years later, and I'm thrilled to have her back."

"I was honored to have taken part in the community's conversations 10 years ago and I often think about the people I met and what they had to say to me and to each other," Martin said. "I know those conversations have never stopped, so I was equally honored to have been invited to come back to help keep the conversations going."

Event details

#Ferguson and Beyond: A Community Conversation 10 Years Later
Greater St. Mark Family Church | 9950 Glen Owen Dr, St. Louis, MO 63136
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024
Doors open to the public at 6:30 p.m.
Discussion begins at 7 p.m.
Admission is free; no registration required

How to listen

Highlights of #Ferguson and Beyond will air on St. Louis on the Air on Friday, Aug. 9 at noon and 7 p.m. on 90.7 KWMU.

In recognition of the 10-year anniversary of events in Ferguson, portions of the discussion will also be made available to NPR Member stations across the country to broadcast.

Michel Martin is also planning to broadcast Morning Edition live from St. Louis on Tuesday, August 6, in anticipation of the upcoming community event. Morning Edition is NPR's morning drivetime news magazine carried by 843 public radio stations nationwide.