Ferguson: 2 Cities, part 2
From August till November, things in Ferguson have changed, drastically.
“We’ve lost about 80% percent of our cliental here since August, since Mike Brown was killed”, says owner of Prime Time barber shop Thomas Bradley.
Bradley is one of many, who have had to board up his business’ windows and doors. He says insurance agents have told him that if they didn’t, damage wouldn’t be covered when the grand jury reaches its decision and violence breaks loose.
Bradley says, “there is going to be trouble for sure, I mean I have people come in and just tell us, ‘if that cop don’t get charged I’m burning down at least two or three myself, we’re down, we’re down”, me personally, I don’t agree with it, how they are acting to it, but everybody have their own way of justice”.
The death of Michael Brown has also affected his pay check and that amount of business that enters these doors. He says that, “pre the Mike Brown situation, I made about $400 to $450 a week, but now since it happened, since August up to this date, I probably made about $650 to $700 total, in the whole three months”.
Dellena Jones owns 911 Hair Salon across the street and she too has boarded up. But, says that she’s just ready for this whole thing to be over.
“You know if something happens then what’s my next move forward, move, it’s not ‘oh my God’, you know my mom and auntie and grandmother and godmother always said ‘if your pitty party over with’, how long are you going to have this pitty party, because life goes on”, says Jones.
St. Louis County Police officials say they are preparing for the decision and the outcome, that will affect the community any day now.
“We were lucky in August, after Mr. Brown’s death, beginning August 10th when we did see the unrest unfold, we did not see any more loss of life, that was a plus, that’s what we’re hoping for again, obviously there were a lot of businesses that were looted and property that was damaged and we have to make sure that does not happen again”, says Sergeant Brian Shellman.
