A man walks past a painted and boarded up exterior of the El Palenque restaurant in Ferguson, Missouri, December 3, 2014. Volunteers decorated the plywood that was put up to protect businesses from the vandalism after the grand jury verdict in the Michael Brown shooting.Jim Young/Reuters
Over the past several months Ferguson, Missouri has become the frontline for a new civil rights movement, and has stemmed protests worldwide. Striking photographs have depicted a town turned sideways by the untimely shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown on August 9th by Officer Darren Wilson, who was not indicted by a grand jury. Since then, the tension between local police and activists demanding answers and change has been well-documented by media outlets and witnesses.
But away from the center of the struggle lies another story: one of a town attempting to keep itself together. This is what photographer Jim Young sought to find during his time in Ferguson. For two days Young ventured throughout the town, and stumbled upon street art that gestured toward both creativity and rebellion. These intimate moments stand out against its tense environment, and suggests that art can still be revolutionary in the face of tragedy.
A man walks past a painted and boarded up exterior of the El Palenque restaurant in Ferguson, Missouri, December 3, 2014. Volunteers decorated the plywood that was put up to protect businesses from the vandalism after the grand jury verdict in the Michael Brown shooting.Jim Young/Reuters
Over the course of two days photographer Jim Young explored this form of protest art, capturing the everyday Ferguson against a canvas of local hopes and fears in the form of art.Jim Young/Reuters
Young's images explore a Ferguson away from the headlines, away from the visual tropes of holiday decorations, rioters and clashes with police. The day to day is front an center and asks of us, what happens to Ferguson when the media and Americans loses interest?Jim Young/Reuters
Business began boarding up their windows after anticipating violence after a grand jury decision on whether to pursue criminal charges against a officer in the death of Brown.Jim Young/Reuters
Over the summer some business owners saw their stores looted or burned and fear of a repeat prompted many to be proactive.Jim Young/Reuters
Despite their post-apocalyptic appearence, the stores are operating as normal on the inside. Herea woman walks past a paintedopen sign at Rehoboth Pharmacy.Jim Young/Reuters
Following the announcement not to indict the officer, a small group of protesters did set fire to some stores, but the majority of owners were spared.Jim Young/Reuters
The city has become the center of a national debate on race and policing, with everyone from cable TV pundits to President Obama expressing their views.Jim Young/Reuters
Coupled with the Eric Garner grand jury decision in New York City to not indict an officer who was seen on video using what appeared to be an illegal choke-hold on Garner, protests and debate on policing have spread coast to coast.Jim Young/Reuters
For a third week, protests continue to escalate, with at times violent clashes, the forced closure of roads and arrests.Jim Young/Reuters
President Obama has called for calm, more dialogue and has asked congress to allocate funds for police training, body cams and place limits on military weapons in police hands. It is a moment of confronting difficult realities in America.Jim Young/Reuters
For now, Ferguson isn't burning but a deeper issue of race-relations still smolders beneath the surface across America.Jim Young/Reuters
The rising star of the pharmaceutical world could help prevent the worst effects of a future pandemic, including fewer excess deaths, medical experts have said.
