Keith Kallstrom
With Ferguson City Council Seat, Activist Fran Griffin Hopes To 'Move Ferguson Forward'
By Carolina Hidalgo • Apr 16, 2019
File photo | Carolina Hidalgo | St. Louis Public Radio
Exactly one month after a Ferguson police officer killed Michael Brown about a mile from her home, Fran Griffin attended her first city council meeting.
Determined to make her voice heard, she joined more than 600 people inside a crowded church for a contentious meeting. Since that night in 2014, Griffin has attended nearly every council meeting.
On Tuesday, the activist and mother of three will be sworn in as Ferguson's newest council member and the first black woman to represent the city's predominantly black third ward.
Voters Reject MSD Rate Hike, Give St. Louis County Council Its Own Attorney
By Jason Rosenbaum & Rachel Lippmann • Apr 2, 2019
David Kovaluk | St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis and St. Louis County residents on Tuesday rejected a Metropolitan Sewer District tax increase aimed at stopping erosion and flooding.
Voters also endorsed designating an attorney to represent the St. Louis County Council, while in Ferguson Fran Griffin defeated Michael Brown's mother, Lezley McSpadden, and incumbent Keith Kallstrom for a seat on the city council.
Michael Brown's Mother, Lezley McSpadden, In 3-Way Race For Ferguson City Council
By Rachel Lippmann & Jason Rosenbaum • Mar 28, 2019
File photo I Rachel Lippmann | St. Louis Public Radio
Nearly five years after Michael Brown's death sparked protests and a movement over police treatment of African-Americans, his mother, Lezley McSpadden, is running for a Ferguson city council seat in the southern part of town where her son died.
"I hope that people will see that I'm still standing after all that I've been through," McSpadden said. "And I'm still fighting. And I will always be a voice for Michael Brown and all of our other black and brown children who are being mistreated and who have been up against police brutality."