Ferguson, Missouri gained national attention in 2014 following the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager, by a white police officer named Darren Wilson. The incident sparked protests and unrest in Ferguson and brought attention to long-standing issues of police violence and systemic racism in the United States.

The Black Lives Matter movement emerged as a response to the killing of Michael Brown and other instances of police brutality against Black people. The protests in Ferguson highlighted the need for reform in law enforcement agencies and called for justice for victims of police violence.

The Department of Justice conducted an investigation into the practices of the Ferguson Police Department and found evidence of systemic racial bias and discrimination in law enforcement. The findings led to reforms in the police department and a renewed focus on addressing issues of racial inequality in Ferguson and beyond.

The events in Ferguson serve as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice in America and the need to address the underlying issues that contribute to disparities in policing and the criminal justice system.