Every 28 hours, a person of color is killed by law enforcement in this country. The killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri this August – and the militarized response by police to the outcry of a community under siege – has called attention to the systemic reality of state sanctioned violence and police brutality nationwide. The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) and our partners across the country are engaged in the ongoing fight against bias-based policing and criminal justice practices.

This month, our partner organization, Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE) co-hosted the “Weekend of Resistance” in St. Louis. The weekend was part of #FergusonOctober, a month-long mobilization of organizations, individuals and communities nationwide who are demanding transformational changes to policing.

Over 3,000 community members, families, organizers and advocates participated in marches, rallies, panels, workshops, sit-ins and acts of civil disobedience across the St. Louis area – standing in solidarity with community members, who have taken to the streets nightly since the execution of Mike Brown. CPD has been working with MORE and other local organizations in St. Louis, including the Organization for Black Struggle (OBS), to help support their fight for systemic change. A number of staff members from CPD went to Ferguson during the Weekend of Resistance to provide logistical and communications support to the organizations on the ground working tirelessly to transform policing and criminal justice practices in St. Louis and beyond.

The Weekend of Resistance was just the beginning. CPD will continue to work with our partners across the country to reform bias-based policing and criminal justice policies and to ensure the safety and dignity of our communities. In addition to continuing to support the work that MORE and OBS are doing, in the upcoming months CPD will release a policy tool-kit detailing best police accountability practices and a report highlighting some of the insights and information shared during the National Convening on Police Accountability, which we co-hosted with Communities United for Police Reform and Local Progress in September.

We are honored to be part of the movement that organizers, community members and our partners are creating out of this historic moment.