#FergusonNext

Last fall, the Post-Dispatch editorial board joined with several media partners (Guardian US Opinion, Ebony.com, Colorlines, The St. Louis American and The St. Louis Riverfront Times) to crowd-source proposed solutions to the underlying problems in St. Louis and the nation brought forward in the protests following the Aug. 9 shooting of Michael Brown. Called #FergusonNext, we asked people around the world a simple question: Beyond the Michael Brown case, how can we work together to find justice? Here are many of the proposed solutions, dealing with education, police training, the courts and our nation's racial divide.

— Tony Messenger

Click any topic below to browse the solutions.

Combating segregation We need to talk together across racial lines. I'm white, had a conversation with two black women about Ferguson and Trayvon Martin, and I listened. Listening is key for whites. Just listen. Whites have no idea what it's like being black. We offer solutions without understanding. We need to listen to what people of color are saying without judgment or criticism. If we hear and absorb it, we can make a stride in the right direction. S. Brown, 64, Florida Fight the urge to defend yourself and your views; try to focus instead on really understanding where other people are coming from -- especially those whose experiences completely differ from yours. Never tell another person that how he/she views the world and his/her role in it is "wrong" or not worth your time. Think about how it would feel if someone did this to you? Ask questions, listen to the answers, and always treat others as if they have value. Natalie Buchinsky, 30, New York City It is unproductive and unrealistic to truly combat segregation among our current generation. We should focus solely on empowering ourselves in our own communities. More doctors, lawyers, educators. Also strong businessmen and -women, who work as entrepreneurs and for companies. Take advantage of solid education programs, minority scholarships where available, also community college/personal development education for those who cannot afford. As this happens, it is through the family and community that we can begin to change this outlook through our children. Victor Wilson, 30, Oakland, Calif. I am heartbroken about the blatant racism that has denied Michael Brown's family the justice they deserve. It is fear, corruption, hate and greed that pry us from each other and block us from empathy. When confronted by this division we must respond with unity. Take every opportunity to show solidarity. We are together in this struggle. We must share this struggle. America can not go unchanged. Hannah Epstein, 29, Pittsburgh Monthly dialogues between blacks and whites with a moderator and a specific topic to be addressed in Ferguson/St. Louis. Joanne Keaney, 70, San Francisco "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13). Love needs to fill our hearts to diminish hate and ethnic diversity that has consumed our nation. Our nation was founded on Christian policies. Its time to act accordingly. Some claim racism could be linked to personality disorders or mental disorders; it's a heart problem. We should not judge others based on skin color. Melissa Rodriguez, 28, Baton Rouge, La. End the profiteering in the real estate industry. Social institutions in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors must acknowledge the existence of Sundown Towns (James Loewen) and "white flight" due to fear and hostility. Zoning and building code regulations must be reformed to encourage multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural housing spaces that encourage pride in community rather than prestige or profit. Housing as a human right not as a profit center. Development must be human-scaled, not car-centric. Develop a public commons. Encourage the development of tiny houses, micro-apartments, shared and clustered housing development by the nonprofit housing sector. William Cerf, 68, Brooklyn, N.Y. Rebrand Ferguson as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement 2.0. Jenny Hainsworth, 43, Victoria, Canada What happens in the mainstream is secondary but if we and the media did a better job of telling the story of injustice and loss rather than of bitterness and anger, more from outside the community would realize their privilege. This story is retold the world over. I'm from the UK but wrote this. Maurice Mcleod, 45, United Kingdom Suspend all city cops, bring diversity of cops from state police under contract with city, get in the streets with the people and face the differences as one community. James Comer, 38, Florida Self-segregation is so limiting. How do we learn to understand each other when we refuse to live next to each other? Headly Westerfield, 62, Florida Public schools should no longer be funded by local property taxes, which are tied to property values. This leads directly to de facto segregation by race and class. Instead, they should receive equally distributed funding and resources. Stefanie Gray, 26, New York City A series of policies that affirmatively further fair housing, including inclusionary zoning, strengthening voucher programs to expand opportunity, community land trusts, expanding fair housing coverage, equitable distribution of natural disaster relief, adopting more sensible policies relating to drug use, improving the quality of affordable housing, equitable distribution of natural disaster relief, and anti-displacement measures. Read more here. Diego Iniguez-Lopez, 28, New York City White people need to be honest about our complicity in systems of injustice and about our biases and fears. White Americans and the systems our culture has created need to search our souls for hard truths and radical transformation. Marcia Mount Shoop, 45, West Lafayette, Ind. Media bias against nonwhite people is well documented. Though this is difficult to regulate, I believe it could and should be to a certain extent. In the U.S., it has proven impossible to rely on privately run media to adopt a socially responsible balance. I suggest a special regulatory body under the FCC that collects and analyzes certain output of national and local media channels. There must then be either a positive/negative incentive/deterrent directed at media organizations that tend toward "inferential racism" or the use of overdramatized stories to boost ratings. Seth Mowshowitz, 37, Leeds, United Kingdom

Court reform We need alternatives to imprisonment like restorative justice. We need much stronger oversight of prosecutorial conduct and have special, independent prosecutors oversee police misconduct. There is systemic racism in the justice system that must be addressed. Amie Newman, 45, Seattle Just because one grand jury failed to indict does not protect Darren Wilson forever. Insist on a new prosecutor, grand jury. Double jeopardy only applies to acquittals by trials. Tracy Hixon, 53, Northern California Special prosecutors should be required if considering indicting a police officer. Nicole Warrington, 34, St. Louis Jury should be unbiased as possible. Instead of being reflective of local population, should be an equal mix of race, creed, religion, income, other criteria. Mike Brown case should not have had majority white people, or a prosecutor whose father was murdered by a black man. This creates extreme bias and strong conflict of interest. Jury selection should be under constant review and challenged when necessary. Victor Wilson, 30, Oakland, Calif. Every person killed by police should have the right to have their case to go to trial. We need to eliminate closed door grand jury determinations and go straight to a real and public trial so there is full transparency and confidence that justice is being served. Leanne Leith, 50, Oakland, Calif. Build a layman's approach to the grand jury process. One that dumbs down legalese so that juries of our peers can actually make well-thought out decisions. Jennifer Walton, 30, Ohio Require the appointment of a special prosecutor, an outsider who doesn't rely on local police force in everyday work, to take on all prosecutions for excessive use of force by police. Claudia Ginanni, 51, Philadelphia We need to call for the immediate ouster of the prosecutor in the Michael Brown grand jury fiasco. Scott Andrew, 50, California Don't just demand that the prosecutor be removed. File an ethics violation complaint with the Missouri Supreme Court. R. Lawton, 50, California

Economic empowerment If we are serious about economic justice, we not only have to talk about who owns and controls the wealth of this country and why, but how to begin a process of community economic development from the ground up that gives those most directly affected by social and economic inequality more ownership and control over their workplaces and communities. In other words, we need to develop more worker-owned cooperatives, consumer-owned cooperatives, housing cooperatives, credit unions, community land trusts, etc., that build community wealth. Carlos Perez de Alejo, 32, Austin, Texas The public and the players' unions need to force the NFL, the NBA, and MLB to spend a significant amount of money on rebuilding the cities in which they have teams. Hans Ostrom, 60, United States Engage black athletes, actors, rap artists and college students to create a media machine and fund to run programs, PSAs, film documentaries along with starting a network of organizations that can full time lobby in D.C. for U.S. human rights and to monitor police activity. This could quickly perform the function of all things necessary to make massive changes to our entire policing policies, and to removing the unfair financial burden put upon on those communities nationally. No one but the rich, famous black community can actually make real change happen. Bryan Lukashevsky, 66, Hawaii Invest in small businesses and job training programs in marginalized communities to allow citizens to build assets on their own terms. Eliminate questions about conviction history from job applications to remove barriers to employment. Develop universal pre-K programs to strengthen pathways to high-paying jobs. Chisolm Allenlundy, 20, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Support black-owned businesses. Black-owned business should also seek out black constituents Lavinia Lynch, 43, Sacramento, Calif. It's time to teach capitalism in the schools from elementary school on up. Teaching kids to responsible with money and how to get a job or start a business will solve many problems. Green dollar bills overcome color prejudice every time. They also give kids a road map that has a way to keep score devoid of debate and philosophy. Junior Achievement is already doing this in the USA for many years but needs to be expanded to minority areas. Larry Glickman, 67, United States Advocate for putting people of color in positions of authority -- in your community and in your workplace Dennis Sullivan, 72, United States We need a specific agreed-upon target. The reason we are boycotting the company must be because of their treatment of black people. We then need to communicate this widely. Invite people to join and ask them to donate the money saved to scholarships for black men at historically black colleges and universities. We should build a community around this and commit for at least one year. Our goal? Put this company out of business. Mutale Nkonde, 38, Brooklyn, N.Y. Community cooperatives, locally people-of-color-owned urban microfarms, art collectives, time-sharing systems, fourth sector economic investment. Jayeesha Dutta, 37, New Orleans Buy black. Tech folks, we need a comprehensive online database to find black-owned businesses in any city, any state. Kemi Alabi, 24, Oakland, Calif. We need to change the entire paradigm that contributes to the narrative of black people as criminalized. While every other group apologetically practices group economics, we are the only group of people that gladly gives our wealth to outsiders. The issue of injustice is largely driven by economic inequality and oppression. If we can increase the opportunities for our people by creating more businesses and growing existing ones, we can combat the dependency on those who seek to oppress us to uplift us. Any campaign has to be developed intergenerationally. Read more. Bartholomew J. Worthington, 37, Florida Reparations for slavery are long overdue. The fortunes of many wealthy families and individuals in the USA were built on slavery. Neither the millions of African people enslaved and murdered in the trans-Atlantic slave trade nor their descendants have been compensated. I believe it is essential to the course of justice, equality and healing to see that reparations are fairly determined and distributed. It would not make sense to expect money to be taken out of government coffers; it would have to come from the private wealth of those whose ancestors profited directly from slavery. Seth Mowshowitz, 37, Leeds, United Kingdom

Education reform Until black men begin taking responsibility for the children they father, educational reform will be difficult. A man who marries the woman he impregnates, stays married to her for the sake of his children through thick and thin and is an involved, active father is the best educational reform. Come on black men ... be men! Dr. Barbara Snelling, 64, Texas Let kids know they matter from the beginning of their life. Universal access to high-quality early childhood education would be a great start, preventing many educational gaps before they begin. Lisa Clancy, 29, Richmond Heights The educational systems supporting St. Louis' urban communities are antiquated and top-down, and a state model of one size fits all doesn't work. That every child deserves a quality education isn't a nice sentiment; it's a fact! The only way to truly break the cycle of poverty is empowering every citizen with an excellent education. Douglas Thaman, 49, St. Louis Since 2008 the history of slavery has been a mandatory part of the secondary school curriculum in the UK. I believe this also should be the case in the USA for exactly the same reasons stated in the article above. A comprehensive history of slavery should be part of the federal curriculum. Seth Mowshowitz, 37, Leeds, United Kingdom Education from the black perspective. We learn differently when we as people of color have a focus in our own world and history. We need black schools, black teachers, black curriculum. Students would receive a wealth of knowledge about people of color. Why stop us from becoming more of our own people? There are Chinese schools, Russian schools, Korean schools, Muslim schools, schools for the deaf and schools for the blind. Education steeped in a cultural background: I see no difference between this and any other school. Lavinia Lynch, 43, Sacramento, Calif. Improving educational achievement for U.S. children is the most leverageable action for improving our society. This will require setting high goals for the U.S. education system (i.e. U.S. educational achievement should be No. 1 in the world by 2025) and ensuring we provide the resources needed to achieve that goal. Children that disrupt/impede the education of their classmates should not be allowed to divert/absorb the resources needed to make our educational system the best. U.S. teachers must be the world's best and paid accordingly, and parents must be incented to partner with teachers to reach this goal. Patrick Fox, 65, St. Louis Address the academic achievement gap by de-tracking classrooms. Right now, many low-level classrooms are filled with low-income minority students where they are being prepared for entry-level work rather than college. Selena Jaramillo, 22, Madison, Wis. Schools need to be funded equitably, instead of by housing tax. Every child should have the same amount of money spent on their public education. Equal access to education and professional development opportunities will lead to a more equitable future, along with prison reform, police reform, tax reform, and an expansion of social welfare programs. Caroline Ellis Duble, 22, United States Public schools administrations/staff need to reflect their community. They need to be fully funded. Each district needs a plan to make Title I schools a priority. And cafeteria food needs to have fresh food and not be packaged food with empty calories. Kids need fruits and vegetables, and standards need to be better than the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 just implemented this year. Also children of color should not be disproportionately expelled or diagnosed for special education. Annabel Quintero, 39, Seattle We need to start implementing educational programs based on our considerable knowledge about implicit bias. They should be mandatory in all police academies and for all public employers. Victor Goode, 67, New York Resist racial bias in university compliance of the Cleary Act. Read more. Darcie Vandegrift, 44, United States We shouldn't be spending money on giving every kid an iPad. We should spend money on classes that talk openly about current civil rights issues and how the kids themselves can be peaceful, informed participants in those struggles. Claire Kaplan, 25, North Hollywood, Calif. Empower youth to foster change and improve our region. VolunTEENnation is offering grants for #StL area youth to make a difference in our community. Encourage youth to apply for our grants. Simone Bernstein, 22, St. Louis It's futile to seek change in how we act if we don't understand why we act how we act. Fact is, we don't always act the way we agree we ought. Philosophers know it; psychologists know it. But not knowing this is normal behavior, we often conceal it as a flaw, and create a logjam for a productive dialogue And so in looking at racial inequality in this way, we can dissect it, strip it down to what every human inherently does, which consequently renders the subject much more innocuous and approachable Paul Thacker, 38, Columbus, Ohio Work to make the schools in Ferguson's county model schools with great teachers and resources. Education is the secret. Martha Moffett, 80, New Jersey It's about education and support for the black and Hispanic populations ... simple and effective but as a people, we need to open our eyes to the dumbing down of all people by our politicians. Barbara M. Carr, Sen, California We need K-16 classroom instructions that emphasize anti-racism, anti-colonialism, and social-emotional intelligence. New curricula, new justice. Tim Wise, Robert Jensen and Albert Memmi are excellent thinkers with which to begin. Myrna Nurse, 50+, Delaware Sunday school becomes Freedom School. Teach the babies to plan, organize and build our community from the start. Let's apply spiritual understanding to liberation movements. Merrick Moise, 40, Baltimore Teach some real black history. Hundreds of thousands died in a war to end slavery. Talk about Frederick Douglass. Bring up the thousands of black slave owners, even owning white indentured servants. Madame C.J. Walker was the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire 100 years ago! There's good, there's bad, but there is more good! People of all colors have fought for decades to end racism. What you put out you get back tenfold! Be positive. Nick Heyward, 48, Shreveport, La. Progressive social justice organizations in every community should build trust with one another and join together to educate youth about the history of the oppression of African-Americans, Native Americans, and all cultures outside the white-dominated culture, and build the capacity of youth and young adults for organizing. Kelly Miller, 56, Boise, Idaho Teach children to have absolute respect for education. Find creative ways to educate without so much dependence on "the system." All topics imply how to reform the system. The system, however, reflects the community that continues to use it for their own corrupting agenda. Stop teaching the blacks are different and start sharing what is commonly sought with your lighter-shaded American brothers and sisters. It must be said that white privilege is nonexistent in these hard times. All of us are hurting, and it is time to come together and assist one another. Elizabeth Spence, 40, United States Scholars should develop platforms that teach parents how to form community-based action groups, for learning how to utilize state education websites connected to curriculum development, implementation and in classroom teaching. 1. Identify community leaders. 2. Establish collaboration across different actors and stakeholders. 3. Address issues surrounding resistance to change. 4. Articulate the need for a focus on cooperation. 5. Identify areas where family involvement can lead to attitudinal shift about the importance of education. 6. Teach parents how to become involved in the decision-making process, and the implementation of policy that affect children in their community. Ritchie Mayes, 60, Norwood, Mo. A major positive force in this community during this tragedy has been the Ferguson Library -- a major support for the children and families. There is a great profile in the media. Go to their website; they need donations. One way to make a positive impact now. Larry Bethel, 70, Greater Kansas City Racial diversity needs to be taught in all schools at an early age. No more white-washing American history. When you show the true diverse history of people of color, this is when all Americans can be thought that we're all humans and should be treated as such. Alvin Green III, 44, Ridgeland, Miss. Change the standard curriculum to include contributions from black people. Black history in school should not begin with slavery. Teach young blacks and all other young people to love and respect black life. Evan Wilson, 27, Charlotte, N.C. All public servants need anti-racism training. Those who are the gatekeepers of the system need to see how the system is set up to divide. Only then can we talk about equity. People's Institute for Survival and Beyond is just one place to start. For teachers, police, those working in child advocacy, legislators, judges, etc. No more Band-Aids; we need to change the system with actionable steps. Cameras won't erase the bias. Laura Rinderknecht, 34, Indianapolis Universities should have ethnic studies as a requirement. African-American studies is American history. I say this as a white/Latino student with friends who are more insensitive than I would assume them to be. Jimmy Feterman, 23, Evanston, Ill. Increase private grant funding by government, even after graduation. Create subsidized grants for private loans and create laws that prohibit predatory lending/allow folks to pay substantial principal balance when contributing more than minimum payment (instead of going to the interest). Victor Wilson, 30, Oakland, Calif. Bring back civic courses in school. Children need to understand, and participate in, the law and how the governing bodies of our country work. It's the only way to restore respect for all. Norah C. Sullivan, 61, Rocky River, Ohio Money to reinforce military-style police forces should be redirected to educational tools. Put the police in the schools, become one with your community rather than fearful. Kenneth Graves, 24, Washington, D.C. Add media reform to topic list above. Media plays huge role in this game. Nathaniel Hoffman, 36, United States The pervasive whitening of all subject matters in school from the literary canon to the historical context conditions white youth to believe that their culture is superior and the normed American way while students of color are asked to subjugate their own cultural reality for over 18 years. Students, in particular white youth, who are given the means to openly engage in the social, economic, racial and ethnic complexity of American culture and globalizing society would hopefully as adults not try and whitewash and deny racial discrimination as a figment of imagination. Leslie Beller, 43, Chicago Racial, ethnic, and cultural sensitivity training must start in grade school. The training must become an integral/mandatory part of the school curriculum all the way through high school or beyond. Rose M. Cannon, 36, Evanston, Ill.

Government reform The war on drugs is a complete failure. In fact, it is one policy we should all get behind and change. People of color are stopped, frisked and arrested for simple possession. We should support the decriminalization or legalization of marijuana as a start. This does not change the racial disparities within the power structure, but if the war on drugs was ended, it would end the excuses of police to enter our communities unless it had to do with violence and theft. Tory Stephens, 37, United States We need to build the political power of the people of Ferguson. Registering voters, identifying and supporting strong candidates to run for public office and engaging the community in discussion about what needs to change so that there isn't another Michael Brown tragedy. Amy Chen, 24, San Francisco More specific instruction should be provided to citizens on public participation in government. Media outlets should undertake a public education program to help average citizens understand that service in elective office or on appointed boards and commissions is a realistic option. Local libraries and educational institutions could provide "how to" instruction courses and websites. An article on improving citizen engagement was published last year in the SLU Public Law Review. Common Sense for St. Louis will offer a more detailed proposal in the coming weeks. Bob Pieper, 63, Richmond Heights We need to make sure our government representatives actually represent us. Send letters, knock on doors and mobilize the vote. The system was not built to support us, but it's what we have to work with in the interim, and we need to elect people who will listen to us and our needs. Obama cannot still be the only black president 50 years from now. Henri Garrison, 19, Cambridge, Mass. Use the protest networks to put newly mobilized community leaders in local office. Work together to pay any costs associated with running for office. Focus on elections to gain mayor positions. In a country this big, change needs to come from within the system. Nick Gerber, 21, Worcester, Mass. "I feel called to serve individuals, to love each human being. ... I never think in terms of a crowd, but of individual persons. If I thought in terms of crowds, I would never begin my work. I believe in the personal touch of one to one." (Mother Teresa). While institutional reforms are essential, it's important we remember that at the core is the human heart and our approach to individuals. Bob Levin, 62, North St. Louis County Pass Rep. John Conyers' bill, H.R. 40, to create a commission on slavery, ongoing discrimination and its effects, and recommendations for reparations. Develop a unified narrative of racial injustice and a unified set of goals to maintain focus and momentum in this next wave of the civil rights movement. Kabeera Weissman, 34, Philadelphia The state and government must stop pretending to represent a single nation and admit that race and ethnic origins form the natural basis of national identity and genuine nationhood. Those who wish to form a multiracial and multicultural nation should, of course, be free to do so, although it will not remain multiracial and multicultural for long (Intermarriage will see to that). America is not a genuine nation, but a mercenary "patron state" deceitfully posing as a nation, in order to legitimize itself, its ruling elites and the immense power they wield. Roger Hicks, 65, London Community policing and the demilitarization of police would be a good first step. Tommy Chen, 18, Union City, Calif. Prison system abolished as the dominant mode of punishment. System not based on vengeance, but rather similar to Truth and Reconciliation trials, where victims and perpetrators face each other. Connect private/individual violence to public/state violence. Still hold individuals accountable for their crimes, while recognizing women as the primary victims of violence worldwide. Iann Williams, 34, California Admit that race is not a "social construct", but that it is real and important. Not in the way that racial supremacists believe it is, but because it is central to any deep and meaningful sense of both personal and group, i.e. genuine national, identity. It is the state that is the real social, i.e. power-political, construct, deceitfully posing as a nation, in order to legitimize itself, its political elite and the immense power they wield and use to facilitate society's self-exploitation, to their own personal advantage, playing its citizens off one against the other. Roger Hicks, 65, Barkingside, London It should be government policy that all police forces are there to "Serve and Protect," which means: Not drawing your gun unless imminent danger of death can be proven. I am not a tech, but a small device the cop can activate in a split second to record the event I'm sure can be mustered. Anyone who kills -- a cop who kills, that is -- an unarmed subject, must be disciplined by a charge of voluntary manslaughter. Joe Gonzalez, 65, Miami Let's clearly define community success and create a shared scorecard to measure our progress. Need media to post it regularly. Let's build a formal coalition of people in St. Louis and beyond who will Pledge20; we will commit the next 20 years of our lives to drive to significantly change in race and community relationships and economic disparity. Some systems will need to change. Individuals will be impacted. If negatively, let's create a formal and collaborative Win:Win process to support and re-engage these individuals and families. Becky James-Hatter, 52, St. Louis When our government is dominated by private interests, when our elected officials have to spend 70 percent of their time raising funds to get re-elected, the impact trickles down to our communities with militarized, under-trained police, poor quality public education and reduction of quality of life for the majority. Government-funded and -limited campaign financing would change the very nature of our government and the priorities of the elected officials. Police reform is not possible without the political will to make it happen. Marion Haller, 62, Hawaii Teaching the community about how government works and affects their lives. Teaching them how to become leaders, vote, advocate on an issue and how to run for office. Meredith Turner, 42, Cleveland Since the problem is systemic, work on changing the system. Grassroots up. Christiane Dechert, 57, Laramie, Wyo. Election/voting reform is the first step to making sure our voices are being heard. Fairvote.org lays out a succinct plan for action. Zack Cote, 21, Providence, R.I. Wake up. Reset your priorities with social justice in mind. Stop spending your money with people who don't respect you. Attend city council meetings -- and pay attention. Hold every politician accountable. Recruit and support candidates who support you. Make your kids get an education. Make your schools teach your kids. Register to vote. Vote. File complaints when they need to be filed. Don't believe the hype. Patricia King, 63, Indianapolis Other than Michael Brown's death, one of the most awful aspects of this situation is that leadership has completely bungled everything. From the local level, to the governor, all the way to the president, no elected official has shown competent leadership. The two-party system has failed to provide meaningful solutions to everyday problems. At a local level and federal level, I would like to see an instant run-off voting system enacted.That's when voters rank candidates in order of preference. It allows voters to vote for third parties without "throwing away" their votes. G. Gray, 39, St. Louis Demilitarize all local police departments. Stop SWAT-like "jump outs" in DC. Re-establish and strength community police accountability boards with firing power for egregious police misconduct. Demand new drug policy dismantling the federal drug schedule, which feeds mass incarceration and the privatization of prisons. Janessa E. Robinson, 24, Washington, D.C.