Protesters sitting on a highway with the arch in the background. An older Black woman with sunglasses, silver hair pulled back, black coat and gloves has her hands up.

Photo by Lindy Drew / Humans of St. Louis

Ferguson Commissioners

The Ferguson Commission was an empowered, independent and diverse group that studied the underlying social and economic conditions underscored by the unrest in the wake of the death of Michael Brown. Openness and transparency were the cornerstones of the Commission’s work.

The charge of the Ferguson Commission was to help chart a new path toward healing and positive change for the residents of the St. Louis region. However, as these challenges are not unique to our region, the Commission looked to serve as a role model and offer best practices to communities across the country.

The Commission members had the responsibility – and the opportunity – to hear from people from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, and to form concrete recommendations for making this region a stronger, fairer place for everyone.

Commissioner Bios

REV. STARSKY WILSON, CO-CHAIR

The Rev. Wilson is president & CEO of Deaconess Foundation, a faith-based grant making organization devoted to making child well-being a civic priority in the St. Louis region. He is also pastor of Saint John’s Church (The Beloved Community) in St. Louis. He serves on several boards throughout the region, including the United Church of Christ Cornerstone Fund, YMCA of Greater St. Louis, FOCUS-St. Louis, Teach for America-St. Louis, and the Mayor’s Commission on Children, Youth and Families, where he co-chaired the Regional Youth Violence Prevention Task Force. Under his leadership, the Urban League Young Professionals established St. Louis’ Young Blacks Give Back initiative, which has provided thousands of community service hours to local non-profits over the last twelve years.

WHY I’M SERVING:
“I am called and have been blessed to serve children and youth of our region through engagement at the grass tops and grassroots of civic leadership. Effective investigation, assessment and response to the multiple structural challenges that led to and have been exposed by the August 9th shooting and its aftermath will require the perspective and credibility of both worlds. The work of this commission aligns with the work of Deaconess Foundation, which I lead, to advance the health of the region and its people through effective alignment of philanthropic, social service and governmental resources and policies. We envision a region that values the health and well-being of all children and prioritizes the most vulnerable.”