What do you think?
Rate this book
Ferguson in Black and White
This past summer, America watched helplessly as it happened unarmed black men shot, choked, often killed by fearful white officers. When television cameras and reporters descended upon Ferguson, Missouri to cover protests and rioting after a police officer shot 18 year-old Michael Brown, pundits who hadn't heard of Ferguson a week earlier filled the airwaves pontificating about the root causes. But one question went What about St. Louis’s history, economics, politics, leadership structure, and culture set it apart from the myriad other cities and towns that quietly endured similar tragedies? In this Kindle Single, urban policy professor and former Missouri State Senator Jeff Smith explores the roots of Ferguson's rage – and offers insights on how other cities can address their own simmering issues of racial and class inequality so that they can avoid the reckoning St. Louis faces.Jeff Smith is Assistant Professor at The New School's Milano Graduate School, where he teaches and researches urban political economy, election campaigns, legislative strategy, and incarceration. His first book, Trading Places, analyzed modern party realignment; his next book explores prison life. He frequently addresses audiences on public ethics and prison reform. Jeff has written for the New York Times, the New Republic, the Atlantic, Inc., Salon, Politico, and New York Magazine, among other publications. Previously, he represented St. Louis City in the Missouri Senate.Cover design by Adil Dara.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2014
48 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Smith
4 books7 followersA former Democratic member of the Missouri Senate, representing the 4th district from 2007 until 2009, Smith is an Assistant Professor of Politics and Advocacy at the New School's Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy in New York City. He has also been a contributing writer for Politico, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Atlantic, Buzzfeed, and other news sources; and he was the the subject of the 2006 documentary Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?
Smith previously spent a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to two felony counts of conspiracy related to his involvement with the organization Voters for Truth's negative advertisements against former U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan in 2004.
Smith previously spent a year in federal prison after pleading guilty to two felony counts of conspiracy related to his involvement with the organization Voters for Truth's negative advertisements against former U.S. Representative Russ Carnahan in 2004.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 17, 2017
Jeff Smith grew up in St. Louis and served one term as a state Senator there, and is now an academic political scientist. In this Kindle Single, Smith tackles the question of why, when police killings of unarmed black men have happened in many cities across America without triggering protests, the killing of Michael Brown has prompted months of unease and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri.
Smith answers the question by reviewing the history of St. Louis County that shapes local attitudes - especially the attitudes of black residents who have been poorly served - and often harassed and cheated - by local and state government. One particularly striking aspect of the history Smith outlines is the fragmentation of the county into 59 municipalities, some tiny, which support themselves financially by trapping low-income residents and visitors in endless cycles of tickets, fines, penalties, and probation appointments. Smith also explains how white control of land has worked for generations to limit and undermine wealth accumulation in the black community, and how expansion of the St. Louis airport around 2000 displaced a number of black families into Ferguson, creating a significant demographic shift that is not yet reflected in the town's power structure. This is a nuanced analysis, and may or may not translate to other cities. It's certainly not all there is to say about the implications of the Michael Brown case or the grand jury decision, but it is fascinating.
One complicating factor, not hidden in the book, but not headlined, either: Smith resigned his position as state Senator because he was charged and pled guilty to obstruction of justice, after trying to cover up illegal coordination with an independent expenditure campaign during an earlier (2004) run for US Congress. Smith is up front about this late in this book, and in fact uses the contrast between his experience and that of a corrupt local black politician to make an important point: that too many whites in the county have concluded that all black politicians are likely to be corrupt, something they don't assume about other whites. Smith's analysis is so thoughtful, and so accessible in its depiction of what Ferguson's black residents have had to face, that it came as a blow to learn of Smith's own prior failings. Nonetheless, in this work, he's smart, cogent, and empathetic, and worth reading.
Smith answers the question by reviewing the history of St. Louis County that shapes local attitudes - especially the attitudes of black residents who have been poorly served - and often harassed and cheated - by local and state government. One particularly striking aspect of the history Smith outlines is the fragmentation of the county into 59 municipalities, some tiny, which support themselves financially by trapping low-income residents and visitors in endless cycles of tickets, fines, penalties, and probation appointments. Smith also explains how white control of land has worked for generations to limit and undermine wealth accumulation in the black community, and how expansion of the St. Louis airport around 2000 displaced a number of black families into Ferguson, creating a significant demographic shift that is not yet reflected in the town's power structure. This is a nuanced analysis, and may or may not translate to other cities. It's certainly not all there is to say about the implications of the Michael Brown case or the grand jury decision, but it is fascinating.
One complicating factor, not hidden in the book, but not headlined, either: Smith resigned his position as state Senator because he was charged and pled guilty to obstruction of justice, after trying to cover up illegal coordination with an independent expenditure campaign during an earlier (2004) run for US Congress. Smith is up front about this late in this book, and in fact uses the contrast between his experience and that of a corrupt local black politician to make an important point: that too many whites in the county have concluded that all black politicians are likely to be corrupt, something they don't assume about other whites. Smith's analysis is so thoughtful, and so accessible in its depiction of what Ferguson's black residents have had to face, that it came as a blow to learn of Smith's own prior failings. Nonetheless, in this work, he's smart, cogent, and empathetic, and worth reading.
July 31, 2017
This is a better, more in depth take on the Ferguson matter than anything else that I've read, which is surprising given that it was written and published in the span in between the Mike Brown shooting and the announcement of the grand jury verdict. The author, as a St. Louis native and a disgraced local politician with an academic background in African-American studies, provides a unique insight into the legal, social and political forces that led to the events in Ferguson, including a fascinating history of the local housing market and how racism in lending policies and what have you led to the bizarre, shameful current state of affairs in St. Louis county.
December 4, 2014
Ferguson in Black and White by Jeff Smith
“Ferguson in Black and White" is a solid summation of the root cause of racial distrust in Ferguson, Missouri. In a candid manner, former State Senator of Missouri and now professor of public policy, Jeff Smith, provides readers with interesting historical insights to the social unrest that has captivated the country. This revealing 70-page eBook includes the following six chapters: 1. One City, Two Prisms, 2. A Big Small Town, Surrounded by 90 Smaller Ones, 3. Fragmentation, Race, and Class, 4. The Best Laid Plans, 5. The Great Migration to North County, and 6. Is There a Way Forward?
Positives:
1. A well-written succinct book.
2. A hot-button topic handled with respect.
3. A surprisingly candid and revealing book.
4. Jeff Smith brings a lot to the table. A white professor of public policy who majored in African-American Studies at UNC and served as a State Senator of Missouri is hence able to share unique experiences and observations on Ferguson.
5. Where this book excels is in providing readers with the historical background that led to the current racial distrust. “In St. Louis, the decisions of the past created the conditions of the present, which have imbued so many residents with nihilism about the future.”
6. A succinct and fair recount of what transpired on August 9, 2014.
7. Interesting history of St. Louis. “St. Louis leaders had likely seen the future coming. But fierce steamboat industry opposition long prevented construction of a Mississippi River bridge, precluding Illinois railway lines from reaching St. Louis. St. Louis rapidly lost ground to Chicago.”
8. Key historical elements that led to the racial rage. “Indeed, parochialism has been a key ingredient in the toxic mix of conditions that ignited Ferguson’s fury.”
9. One of the great revelations of the book is the discriminatory court system. “…black citizens view the courts not as institutions of justice but as profit centers.”
10. The heart of the racial tension. “All are bound by one common element: white people—sometimes maliciously, sometimes not—imposing their will on black people’s lives.”
11. A look at migration. “Today’s urban researchers recognize the intentionality behind these development patterns. ‘St. Louis has spent enormous sums of public money to spatially reinforce human segregation patterns,’ preservationist Michael Allen said.”
12. Interesting concepts that may not be familiar to many. “Ferguson had a very different orientation. It was a “sundown town” from which blacks were supposed to disappear after dusk.”
13. Does a good job of describing daily lifestyle differences between blacks and whites in Ferguson. “The Ferguson we’ve rarely seen on television—a leafy neighborhood of Victorian homes owned by middle-class whites—votes in municipal elections at three to four times the rate of blacks living in the town’s poorer areas, a disparity rooted in demographic, income, and housing patterns. Ferguson’s black population is young and poor; many blacks are either too young to vote or unlikely to do so in local elections, since both age and income are correlated with voting rates.”
14. Makes a prophetic declaration before knowing the verdict that gives this book credibility. “Based on the diverging accounts and ambiguous forensic evidence, and the usual leeway that majority-white juries grant law enforcement, most doubt that Darren Wilson will be indicted. “ And they would be correct.
15. Thought-provoking statements. “White citizens (acting as jurors) allow white cops to act without restraint so long as the cops effectively protect white residents from the menace of black crime.”
16. Provides seven recommendations on how to address the problems that plague the Ferguson region. Many interesting ideas. “To continue systematically extracting scarce wealth from struggling black citizens largely in order to preserve salaried public-sector jobs for predominantly white employees is unconscionable, and it must change.”
Negatives:
1. A bit rushed, could have waited for the verdict and provide an analysis of it. However, the author makes some revelations that clearly show what he expected the verdict to be.
2. Lack of supplementary materials that could have added value: timelines, charts, graphs, demographics, and/or diagrams.
3. Among the suggestions not enough emphasis on citizens respecting authority and the need for the police to reach out to the communities and actually serve and protect all their citizens. There are good people and good cops in Ferguson that must be acknowledged.
4. No references to exemplary communities where a positive transformation has occurred.
5. A minor formatting error. There are six chapters not seven, the book jumps from chapter 5 to 7. Where did chapter 6 go?
In summary, a worthy Kindle Single. Jeff Smith brings a lot to the table in this refreshingly candid account of the events that took place at Ferguson. A hot-button issue handled with care and respect. It is clear that we as a society need to do better. Some of Smith’s recommendations are sound and I hope we can indeed improve as a society for the benefit of all. I recommend it.
Further recommendations: “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson, “Slavery by Another Name” by Douglas A. Blackmon, “Race Matters” by Cornel West, and “Racism without Racists” by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva.
“Ferguson in Black and White" is a solid summation of the root cause of racial distrust in Ferguson, Missouri. In a candid manner, former State Senator of Missouri and now professor of public policy, Jeff Smith, provides readers with interesting historical insights to the social unrest that has captivated the country. This revealing 70-page eBook includes the following six chapters: 1. One City, Two Prisms, 2. A Big Small Town, Surrounded by 90 Smaller Ones, 3. Fragmentation, Race, and Class, 4. The Best Laid Plans, 5. The Great Migration to North County, and 6. Is There a Way Forward?
Positives:
1. A well-written succinct book.
2. A hot-button topic handled with respect.
3. A surprisingly candid and revealing book.
4. Jeff Smith brings a lot to the table. A white professor of public policy who majored in African-American Studies at UNC and served as a State Senator of Missouri is hence able to share unique experiences and observations on Ferguson.
5. Where this book excels is in providing readers with the historical background that led to the current racial distrust. “In St. Louis, the decisions of the past created the conditions of the present, which have imbued so many residents with nihilism about the future.”
6. A succinct and fair recount of what transpired on August 9, 2014.
7. Interesting history of St. Louis. “St. Louis leaders had likely seen the future coming. But fierce steamboat industry opposition long prevented construction of a Mississippi River bridge, precluding Illinois railway lines from reaching St. Louis. St. Louis rapidly lost ground to Chicago.”
8. Key historical elements that led to the racial rage. “Indeed, parochialism has been a key ingredient in the toxic mix of conditions that ignited Ferguson’s fury.”
9. One of the great revelations of the book is the discriminatory court system. “…black citizens view the courts not as institutions of justice but as profit centers.”
10. The heart of the racial tension. “All are bound by one common element: white people—sometimes maliciously, sometimes not—imposing their will on black people’s lives.”
11. A look at migration. “Today’s urban researchers recognize the intentionality behind these development patterns. ‘St. Louis has spent enormous sums of public money to spatially reinforce human segregation patterns,’ preservationist Michael Allen said.”
12. Interesting concepts that may not be familiar to many. “Ferguson had a very different orientation. It was a “sundown town” from which blacks were supposed to disappear after dusk.”
13. Does a good job of describing daily lifestyle differences between blacks and whites in Ferguson. “The Ferguson we’ve rarely seen on television—a leafy neighborhood of Victorian homes owned by middle-class whites—votes in municipal elections at three to four times the rate of blacks living in the town’s poorer areas, a disparity rooted in demographic, income, and housing patterns. Ferguson’s black population is young and poor; many blacks are either too young to vote or unlikely to do so in local elections, since both age and income are correlated with voting rates.”
14. Makes a prophetic declaration before knowing the verdict that gives this book credibility. “Based on the diverging accounts and ambiguous forensic evidence, and the usual leeway that majority-white juries grant law enforcement, most doubt that Darren Wilson will be indicted. “ And they would be correct.
15. Thought-provoking statements. “White citizens (acting as jurors) allow white cops to act without restraint so long as the cops effectively protect white residents from the menace of black crime.”
16. Provides seven recommendations on how to address the problems that plague the Ferguson region. Many interesting ideas. “To continue systematically extracting scarce wealth from struggling black citizens largely in order to preserve salaried public-sector jobs for predominantly white employees is unconscionable, and it must change.”
Negatives:
1. A bit rushed, could have waited for the verdict and provide an analysis of it. However, the author makes some revelations that clearly show what he expected the verdict to be.
2. Lack of supplementary materials that could have added value: timelines, charts, graphs, demographics, and/or diagrams.
3. Among the suggestions not enough emphasis on citizens respecting authority and the need for the police to reach out to the communities and actually serve and protect all their citizens. There are good people and good cops in Ferguson that must be acknowledged.
4. No references to exemplary communities where a positive transformation has occurred.
5. A minor formatting error. There are six chapters not seven, the book jumps from chapter 5 to 7. Where did chapter 6 go?
In summary, a worthy Kindle Single. Jeff Smith brings a lot to the table in this refreshingly candid account of the events that took place at Ferguson. A hot-button issue handled with care and respect. It is clear that we as a society need to do better. Some of Smith’s recommendations are sound and I hope we can indeed improve as a society for the benefit of all. I recommend it.
Further recommendations: “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander, “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson, “Slavery by Another Name” by Douglas A. Blackmon, “Race Matters” by Cornel West, and “Racism without Racists” by Eduardo Bonilla-Silva.
July 30, 2017
Fact-filled and thought provoking
A quick read, Smith's Kindle Single gives a comprehensive history of Ferguson's racial problems. A long-time resident and former Senator, Smith does not pull any punches as he reveals the long-time racism, bigotry, and inequitable application of the law in an embattled city.
A quick read, Smith's Kindle Single gives a comprehensive history of Ferguson's racial problems. A long-time resident and former Senator, Smith does not pull any punches as he reveals the long-time racism, bigotry, and inequitable application of the law in an embattled city.
August 6, 2018
Understanding Ferguson
Smith provides helpful background on the structural barriers and systemic inequality leading up to the tragic events surrounding Ferguson. His prose is clear and highly readable. Loved that it ends with tangible policy solutions. I flew through this book!
Smith provides helpful background on the structural barriers and systemic inequality leading up to the tragic events surrounding Ferguson. His prose is clear and highly readable. Loved that it ends with tangible policy solutions. I flew through this book!
March 27, 2020
I checked out this book on NYPL’s SimplyE app out of curiosity.
But, hearing about why Ferguson exploded after the death of Mike Brown from a white former politician who majored in African American studies in college 🙄🙄 just made me want to hear from Black Ferguson activists.
It infuriates me that there are so many white people getting paid to give second hand accounts.
When it comes to BIPOC, we should be telling our stories. Unfortunately, in AmeriKKKa, our stories have to cleaned up and sanitized by whites for white consumption.
But, hearing about why Ferguson exploded after the death of Mike Brown from a white former politician who majored in African American studies in college 🙄🙄 just made me want to hear from Black Ferguson activists.
It infuriates me that there are so many white people getting paid to give second hand accounts.
When it comes to BIPOC, we should be telling our stories. Unfortunately, in AmeriKKKa, our stories have to cleaned up and sanitized by whites for white consumption.
January 3, 2018
Recently I heard a quote that said that a riot is the language of the unheard. I don't know that I always agree, but this book attempts to explain the history and politics and racial divide in St. Louis and Ferguson. I think one of the reason I didn't love this book was because I knew much of it from the news reporting and the involvement of the Justice Department.
I think this was a book that could have gone in to much more depth, however.
I think this was a book that could have gone in to much more depth, however.
January 9, 2016
Despite Smith's past of dubious ethics, he writes an accessible and surprisingly comprehensive account of the history racial discrimination that has shaped and created the St. Louis where Michael Brown was killed. Sometimes the language is a bit florid, but the message, spirit, and content are on point. Look to Mapping Decline by Colin Gordon for more background on the history.
January 4, 2015
Good reminder of the breadth and depth of the issues involved in Ferguson. I particularly valued the many up-to-date resources at the end.
April 28, 2016
Thought-provoking analysis of the historical political and sociocultural factors that gave rise to the race wars in Ferguson.
October 12, 2016
A brief dives into the issues underlying the response to the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. I appreciated understanding the history that led to that moment.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews