Ferguson, Missouri suffered more than anything from a lack of leadership.
As of this writing, the details surrounding Michael Brown's death remain murky, and I am not willing to reach a judgment about Brown or Officer Darren Wilson until we know more.
In the aftermath, however, the St. Louis County and Ferguson police utterly failed in their responsibilities to provide safety for the people living there, including the protesters. Considering how much circumstances improved once Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson got out of the way and Missouri State Police Captain Ron Johnson took over, it is clear that much of the violence could have avoided with better decision-making from the outset.
It also seems clear, however, that the protesters lack leadership. The looting and other crime growing after a curfew was imposed over the weekend indicates that the community of Ferguson could use someone to pull it together and impose some standards. In similar circumstances, Martin Luther King (especially in Montgomery in 1955) and Malcolm X (especially in Harlem in 1964) gave people a focus and a purpose that prevented worsening violence. In Harlem, Malcolm prevented a complete loss of control, even though there were riots. In Montgomery, King helped avoid any violence at all.
What "the people" do matters. But individual leadership also makes a difference, and we need serious and committed leadership in times of crisis.
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