Family Photo
Never mind what you’ve heard or think you know about Michael Brown, or about me, for that matter. You don’t know about Mike Mike. You don’t know about me. Now, you might know something, some snippet, some half a moment in time, but you don’t know my son’s life and what it meant, and an 18-second video doesn’t tell you anything about 18 years.
Those were the words of Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, whose life was taken on this day two years ago. She shared such sentiments in her book, Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil: The Life, Legacy, and Love of My Son Michael Brown. Sure, you know the story of what happened to him, of his death. But when people’s lives are taken in violent ways, particularly when police are involved, their life story can obtain almost as much scrutiny as the way they left the world. In our world, victims can easily be painted as the bad guys, deserving of their demise. But as McSpadden put it, “You don’t know about Mike Mike.”
AP
And as the anniversary of his passing takes place today, we thought it would be nice to share insight into who the 18-year-old really was, as told by family, friends, teachers and those who knew him best. The info was gathered from their various interviews and profiles over the last two years. And no matter where you stand on how things played out on August 9, 2014, you will know that he was more than what people in the world tried to paint him as based on their skewed views of race, policing and more. He was a son, a brother, and a young man whose life meant something, and continues to mean something to this day.
(AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
