The idea for the moment of silence began with the Twitter hashtag #NMOS14 and has grown into a national effort championed by hundreds of activist groups.
The #NMOS14 campaign sparked a nationwide moment of silence that was observed in cities from Washington D.C. to Chicago and New York in protest of police brutality, which has taken center stage this week following the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
“It’s not just Ferguson. Police brutality is pervasive. It’s happening in so many cities,” social worker and community activist Feminista Jones told USA Today.
In Chicago, the silence lasted for four minutes, to represent the four hours Brown’s body lay in the middle of the street, uncovered, with no regard for dignity for the victim or his family.
Chicago's #NMOS14. 4 min of silence to mark the 4 hours Mike Brown's body lay on the ground. #Ferguson cc: @BYP_100. pic.twitter.com/iI1PAEipVG
— Caroline Siede (@CarolineSiede) August 15, 2014
Here is a powerful image shared by Lamar Richardson from a protest in Union Square. The message “Don’t Shoot” and the hands of the protesters up in the air represent the many unarmed, mostly young black men who are shot and killed every week in America.
#NMOS14#NYC#UnionSquare#MikeBrownpic.twitter.com/iuAw5YwEn9
— Lamar Richardson (@Lamar_Alphonso) August 15, 2014
Some of the protesters were just little kids. Like these two who can’t understand why their friends are subject to a whole different experience with law enforcement, simply based on the color of their skin.
https://twitter.com/codyives/statuses/500101466909323265
The Michael Brown killing, and subsequent heavy-handed response from Ferguson law enforcement has drawn the attention of an entire country who wonder how this can happen right here in America’s heartland. The #NMOS14 campaign proves that social media combined with the will of Americans to hold authority accountable have proved a powerful force indeed. Now it’s time for change.
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