Last week, St. Louis County police released video footage of Michael Brown in a convenience store. The footage showed Brown walking out of the store with a box of cigarillos after muffing who appears to be a much smaller convenience store cashier/owner.

Immediately, cries of criminalizing Brown surfaced, as many of us believe that 1. this always happens when a black man/woman is killed and 2. it had nothing to do with the unarmed, college-bound teen losing his life. 

Officials immediately retracted their suggestion that the police officer (Darren Wilson) responsible for fatally shooting Brown had reason to do so because of the robbery. Now, there appears to be video evidence that shows Brown actually paying for that box of cigarillos.

Let that marinate for a second.

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  • The Black Youth Project is a platform that highlights the voices and ideas of Black millennials. Through knowledge, voice, and action, we work to empower and uplift the lived experiences of young Black Americans today.