Michael Brown was an 18-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by a white police officer named Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, 2014. Brown's death sparked widespread protests and unrest in Ferguson and across the United States, with many calling attention to issues of police brutality, racial profiling, and systemic racism.

The shooting of Michael Brown prompted a national conversation about the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement, leading to the Black Lives Matter movement gaining momentum. Brown's death also brought increased scrutiny to the use of lethal force by police officers and highlighted the need for police reform and accountability.

The Department of Justice conducted an investigation into Brown's shooting and the Ferguson Police Department, ultimately finding a pattern of racial bias and civil rights violations within the department. The shooting of Michael Brown remains a symbol of the ongoing struggle for racial justice and police accountability in the United States.