NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks said that the community of Ferguson, Mo., is "quite saddened and disappointed" by the lack of indictment against Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, which he called "salt in the wound of a brutal injustice," in an interview that was broadcast from Ferguson, today, Nov. 25, 2014 on CBS THIS MORNING (7:00-9:00 AM).
Brooks said that although it is a discouraging outcome, the NAACP and the Ferguson community will not lose sight of the goal at reforming policing across the country.
"We do not intend to relent. We do not intend to stop our call for a whole-scale fundamental reform of policing in this country," Brooks said.
Brooks told co-hosts Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell that the grand jury process that took place in this case "is not a process that inspires confidence," and that the real question is how to proceed from here.
As such, Brooks said that the NAACP will lead a march from Michael Brown's home to Missouri Governor Jay Nixon's home in Jefferson City.
"We're calling on people to push for a change in policing, a change in the way we police our communities," Brooks said. "We're calling for legislative reform. We're calling for the kind of systemic, fundamental reform that can change this country and prevent future deaths."
A transcript of the interview is below.
CHARLIE ROSE: The violent reaction in Ferguson is a blow for organizations that call for peaceful protests. NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks is with us now from Ferguson. Good morning. So, your reaction to this grand jury decision?
CORNELL WILLIAM BROOKS: My reaction is one of deep sorrow and pain. This grand jury decision represents salt in the wound of a brutal injustice. The people in this community and across the country are quite simply saddened and outraged.
GAYLE KING: Mr. Brooks, when you hear that the physical evidence actually backs up Officer Wilson's version of the story, what do you say to that?
BROOKS: What I say to that is that the grand jury has spoken, but many people across the country are quite saddened and disappointed and lack confidence in the grand jury process, where you have prosecutors all across the country who question the process of dumping mountains of evidence into the laps of grand jurors. This is not a process that inspires confidence. But the critical question for us is what do we do next? How do we move forward and how do we bring about justice in the midst of injustice? That's the question.
ROSE: That's exactly the question I wanted to ask you. So what is your answer?
BROOKS: I think it's critically important that the Justice Department continue its investigation of the Ferguson Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department. The NAACP is going to be marching from the home of Michael Brown in Ferguson to the home of the governor in Jefferson City. 100 miles, seven days. We do not intend to relent. We do not intend to stop our call for a whole-scale fundamental reform of policing in this country.
KING: You know, Martin
LUTHER King once said that a
RIOT is the language of the unheard. Last night, the President appealed for calm in the streets, but the people who probably needed to hear it didn't hear it because they were out on the streets causing the violence. Nobody is winning in Ferguson today, Mr. Brooks. So what is your strategy? How do you keep the protest peaceful and what is your message to the people who are causing the violence?
BROOKS: The message of the NAACP is quite simply this: We do not honor the memory of Michael Brown by engaging in acts of violence. It was violence that led to his death. We're calling on people in Ferguson, in Missouri and across the country in joining us in a march from the home of Michael Brown in Ferguson to the home of the governor in Jefferson City. We're calling on people to push for a change in policing, a change in the way we police our communities. We're calling for legislative reform. We're calling for the kind of systemic, fundamental reform that can change this country and prevent future deaths. We have Michael Brown, we have Eric Garner, we have a litany and a list of young people who have lost their lives at the hands of police. This cannot be tolerated. It can't go on, and we have to step up and do something about it. And that we intend on doing.
KING: Thank you for joining us this morning.
Click here to watch the appearance below:
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