“What’s the price of a black man’s life? I checked the toe tag, not one zero in sight.” This line is a legendary quote from J. Cole‘s hit song “January 28th,” but according to the Federal government, Mike Brown‘s family will receive something in an attempt to compensate for the senseless murder.
On Tuesday (Jun 20), the family of Mike Brown, who was gunned down by Officer Darren Wilson in 2014, was awarded an undisclosed amount in a wrongful death lawsuit. It seems that when the justice systems fails to lend a hand to victims of color when it comes to police brutality but would rather add another zero to their toe tag. A judge ruled that Sandra Bland‘s life was worth $1.9M, while Tamir Rice‘s young life is worth $6M; but the larger question is can you truly put a price tag on allowing a killer walk free?
Federal District Judge Richard Webber approved the civil settlement on Tuesday, sealing details of the settlement. Wilson resigned from the Ferguson police force in November 2014, after a grand jury in St. Louis County announced he would not be indicted. In March 2015, Department of Justice officials announced that Wilson would not face federal civil rights charges in connection with Brown’s death.
Because many Black Americans view Brown’s death as the boiling point for police killing, Warner Bros. is memorializing Brown’s legacy in an upcoming film. According to the Huffington Post, the film is based on the book by Brown’s mother, Lezley McSpadden, “Tell The Truth & Shame The Devil: The Life, Legacy, and Love of My Son Michael Brown.” The film is currently in the early stages of development, as confirmed by Warner Brothers, but is described as playing out in a style similar to that of the 2004 drama “Crash,” where the intertwining of the character’s lives was a core element of the film.
The last mainstream film that told the true story of an unarmed black man killed by police was Fruitvale Station in 2014, the story of Oscar Grant, who was killed on New Year’s Day in 2009.
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