Sunday Marks One Year since Michael Brown's Death
BLACKWELL: In a little while, a little more than an hour, we'll see the start of the silent march in Ferguson to mark a year since Michael Brown was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson. Activists will walk from the Camp Field drive, the place where the unarmed teenager lay dead for hours, to Normandy High School, that's where Brown graduated. Brown's death became a symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement. And a lot of things have changed in Ferguson since august 9th of last year. A key change: a new police chief. CNN's Sara Sidner spoke with him.</s>SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Does Ferguson have a racist view? Is there a problem within the department?</s>ANDRE ANDERSON, FERGUSON POLICE CHIEF: I think that in the department there are individuals and factions that don't understand the community. But in fact, there have been some issues with respect to having race problems. There has been. And I think that the police department is doing a good job, has done a good job at getting rid of people that have caused those types of problems.</s>BLACKWELL: We'll have more of Sara's interview in the next hour.</s>PAUL: You heard the new police chief there saying the city has done a good job getting rid of people found culpable of causing race problems in Ferguson or dealing with them, we should say. Have things really changed, though? Joining us is the field organizer for the Organization for Black Struggle, Kayla Reed. Kayla, we appreciate you being here. Thank you. Can you let me know, based on what we just heard there, what changes have you seen? Do you think that the police department has made some significant changes?</s>KAYLA REED, ORGANIZATION FOR BLACK STRUGGLE: So, I think the most significant thing that we've seen in Ferguson since august 9th, 2014, is definitely the removal of some figure heads, the city manager, the former police chief Jackson, and hiring this new chief. However, most of the officers that were staffed last year during the killing of Mike Brown are still on the force. So, there's still a lot that needs to be changed that hasn't been addressed yet.</s>PAUL: So, you think there are still things. What specifically would you like to see addressed, other than that? Reed: Well, I think that Ferguson is still operating as the same Ferguson that it was pre-August 9th. You're still seeing high numbers of people pulled over in the municipality. The municipal court is still operating as a debt-collecting agency. The mayor is still intact. City council just actually revoked the first proposal of change from the department of justice. So, I think that there is resistance on the side of Ferguson city officials to actually invoke the change that the community's saying they want to see.</s>PAUL: Have businesses recovered at all since the protests?</s>REED: I think that some businesses are thriving. On West Florissant, you saw a lot of people standing in support of the protests. On South Florissant, where we are now, you see they've proactively blockaded businesses that have never had any incidents. But I think that a lot of things are returning to business as usual for the businesses, but the culture of Ferguson is very much the same.</s>PAUL: Well, we understand officers are wearing body cameras now. Do you support that? Do you think that that has improved accountability in any way?</s>REED: I think that body cameras are a step toward accountability. I don't think that it's the solution. I think that what body cameras have done in the last few months is actually exposed the truth that people have been saying for a very long time. So, we saw that in South Carolina with Walter Scott. We saw it again in Cincinnati with Sam Dubose. So, I think that cameras are a step toward accountability. But there are other measures that need to be taken to ensure that people are not dying at the hands of police.</s>PAUL: Kayla, let me ask you this, do you get a sense that the residents there in Ferguson are hopeful of where the city is headed? And do you feel like your voice has been heard?</s>REED: So, I think a long time ago, we talked about it being two Fergusons, the side where Camp Field resides and then the side where the police department is. And I think those two Fergusons are still having very serious tensions about coming to the same conclusion on what they want their city to look like. I do think that we as organizers have been fighting very hard to get people's voice, the black community's voice at the table with the Department of Justice to talk about what they want to see with the Ferguson police department. And I think that we've gained some traction with that.</s>PAUL: Ok. Well, Kayla Reed, we really appreciate hearing your perspective. Good luck with everything there and thank you so much for taking time to talk with us.</s>REED: Thank you.</s>PAUL: Absolutely. Take care.</s>REED: Thanks.</s>BLACKWELL: And we're going to talk about another controversial, fatal police shooting, but this time, the victim is an unarmed, white teenager. And it's got some people asking, where's the outrage? And with all the fear and the fallout over Donald Trump's recent controversial statements about Megyn Kelly and other women, does he now need to make a change? Should the other candidates make some changes? A debate scholar weighs in, ahead.