Guest post by Kristinn Taylor
Broderick Johnson, NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen.
The head of the the Obama Administrations My Brothers keeper Initiative,Broderick Johnson is attending Michael Brown's funeral Monday
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) August 23, 2014
The Obama administration is sending Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, an African-American who heads up an Obama initiative to help young black males, to lead the administration’s all-black delegation to the funeral on Monday of Michael Brown. Brown is the unarmed black 18 year-old robber shot dead in a confrontation by a white Ferguson, Missouri police officer two weeks ago in a case that has stoked racial tensions.
Johnson’s attendance at the funeral was first reported by April Ryan, White House Correspondent and Washington Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks, in a posting on Twitter.
The Washington Post later reported two more black Obama administrations officials are being sent to Brown’s funeral. Marlon Marshall, Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director of Public Engagement and Heather Foster, Public Engagement Advisor. Both work under Valerie Jarrett.
The Post reported Marshall is from St. Louis and went to high school with Brown’s mother.
Johnson was appointed earlier this year by Obama to be chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force which is aimed at helping young black males avoid the fate of the likes of Michael Brown and lead successful lives. Johnson’s official title is, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, revealed by Politico this week to be Obama’s man in Ferguson, will deliver the eulogy at Brown’s funeral which will be held in St. Louis at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church according to BET.
Last week Obama dispatched Attorney General Eric Holder to Ferguson where he met with Brown’s parents among others in an effort to reassure the community of a “fair and independent” investigation. While in Ferguson, Holder spoke of a few incidents in his past when believes he was hassled by police for being black.
CNN reported earlier this week Obama has no plans to visit Ferguson anytime soon.
“He has spoken with elected and other leaders, and his public statements have been measured. No presidential visits to Missouri are planned for now although Attorney General Eric Holder is due in Ferguson on Wednesday.
“”I have to be very careful about not prejudging these events before investigations are completed. Because, although these are, you know, issues of local jurisdiction — you know, the DOJ works for me,” Obama told reporters on Monday. “And then when they’re conducting an investigation, I’ve got to make sure that I don’t look like I’m putting my thumb on the scales one way or the other.””
UPDATE: The highest ranking officer to be killed in combat since Vietnam had his funeral this month. The president was golfing at the time of the funeral.
