Tribute To A King: Ferguson Leader Honored At Funeral Service

By J.A. Salaam -Staff Writer- | Last updated: Sep 29, 2016 - 4:18:22 PM

Darren Seals’ father, Darren Seals Sr., displaying a photo of his son. Photo: Mr. Ross

FERGUSON, Mo.— Hundreds of family, friends, comrades and admirers attended funeral service for 29-year-old Darren Seals, Jr., here at Greater St. Marks Family Church to pay tribute to one of Ferguson’s uprising, most outspoken “front line” leaders.

The young Seals rose as a strong voice for Black youth and against White supremacy and injustices after the tragic death of Mike Brown, Jr., in 2014.

The church was filled to capacity with a hundred more outside.

Several organizations, including the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, which had its 25th anniversary convention in the church basement to coincide with the service, the Nation of Islam, the New Black Panther Party and youth groups from the St. Louis region, participated in the home going service.

Mr. Seals’ parents and siblings expressed gratitude and appreciation for the many people present to show their love and respect. Mary Otis, who is on dialysis and was assisted to the podium to share reflections of her son, spoke her concerns for his safety given constant encounters and conflict with the police.

“The one thing that bothered me was when he said, ‘Momma, I want you to know something, the police gone kill me.’ I said, Man Man please stop saying that. I said, you’re speaking things into existence. I said, don’t say that. He put it on Facebook. I said, stop saying that and I didn’t like the conversation but I would listen to him. He said, ‘Momma, I’m trying to embed this in you. They gone kill me, they follow me everywhere I go.’ And it was breaking my heart to the part to where I was okay through the day as long as he was at work. The moment he’d get off from work I’m looking on Facebook to see if he put any status on to keep them from bothering him so much. I’ll call him and say, Man Man, you alright? He’d say, ‘Yes ma’am, mom. I’m okay. He’ll call me the next day, Mom, how you feeling, you okay? I was like, yeah Man Man, you know I have my days. I said, but I’m okay. It’s just good to hear your voice.”

She continued, “Mike Brown Sr., you blessed my heart when you came to my house because I know, I mean I don’t know a lot of people who have lost a child but you sitting in the room with me, my God, meant so much. I mean, I was so happy to see you because like I knew what you went through and my son talked so much about your son. I’m talking about it was times I went on my son’s Facebook page and you would have thought that your son died last month. He said that he would never let Mike Brown’s name just go swept up under the rug and I loved him for that,” said Ms. Otis.

Mike Brown, Jr. Was the unarmed Black teenager shot to death by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in August 2014. His death sparked protests, a heavily militarized response and an uprising and resistance that drew international attention and spawned a national movement against police killings.

A. Akbar Muhammad speaking at funeral service with Anthony Shahid. Photo: Mr. Ross

“My son died for what he believed in, he really did. He gave his life for what he believed in and he loved his family. All my son wanted was justice and his people together. He went hard to make a difference. I mean he went hard. I just love how my son loved his people and he’d come in the house, I’d tell him all the time, I said: Man Man, you look so handsome and you know I could just hear his voice. God knew that I could not look at my son’s face laying in a casket. So every time I think about him, I’ll remember him walking through the door talking to me,” she said through tears.

“One last thing I remembered, I said to him, ‘Man Man for whatever I could have did or could have said or could have made you feel bad, I said, Man Man I love you and I wanted to say I’m sorry. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to look him in his eyes and apologize to him. He hugged me. He kissed me on the jaw and I kissed him on the jaw. I felt so comforted but I was still hurt at the same time with him telling me, ‘Momma, they gone kill me. So you’ve got to keep that in.’ I was like no, I just didn’t want to accept it,” she added.

“I want to say this to the movement, my son, that’s what he died for. He loved the movement. He talked about ya’ll so much. I didn’t care how I felt that day I came out. Ya’ll was out protesting, you know for Mike Jr. I thought wow, they are beautiful. I said, these people are really showing love. My son is in my heart, he’s in all our spirit. I just want to say thank you to all you guys for showing love. And just one thing he told me about Mike Jr. I’m gone keep his name alive, would ya’ll please do that for my son?” she asked.

Many of Mr. Seals’ comrades shared thoughts about their dear friend. Some refused to enter the church during the service. Jeromy Rhone said, “Darren never wanted his funeral in no church. They would have done better to honor him by sending his remains to Africa and had it buried there, because that was his spirit and the way he would preferred it to be. This ain’t him at all and we are staying out because he would.”

Aaliyah Sahar, a close friend of Mr. Seals, praised him for his influence among youth and his genuine love for others.

“To me he was one of the most knowledgeable, caring, loving brothers I knew. Darren was a close friend of mine, who was brutally honest and raw. He didn’t sugar coat anything. He knew this was going to happen, I felt it too, because he was starting to touch people and get them to see that this mistreatment of us is an issue and it needed to stop. Darren was moving those young people. They respected him and they knew he was real. He spoke to me because he didn’t have many people he trusted to hear him out. I listened to his heart, and he had a good one, I thank God I knew him,” said the business owner.

Carlos Ball recalled how Mr. Seals came into his life at a crucial time after losing his older brother to police brutality. His brother, Cary Ball, was shot 21 times by St. Louis police in 2013.

Carlos Ball sharing words of remembrance of Darren Seals. Photo: Mr. Ross

“I didn’t look at Darren as a friend but as a big brother. He adopted me as a brother after my brother was killed by the police in 2013. I just want to say thank ya’ll for sharing him with us. Man that dude was so powerful. When I say Darren, his spirit is going to continue to go through all of us. They can take his body but they can never take his spirit. I just can’t fathom losing somebody like this again,” he said.

Abdul Akbar Muhammad, a top Nation of Islam official and St. Louis resident, flew in town to attend Seals’ service. He shared words of encouragement from the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.

“People want to know what’s happening in St. Louis. They want to stand behind you. Let’s get together, let his life not be in vain. They (authorities) want you to believe that it was maybe some drug or gang beef and he was shot in the head. That’s what they want you to believe. … In South Africa the young would say it’s the police, it’s the White man that’s doing this. And they have a culture of lies and cover-up. They bring the guns in our community; they sell us the dope. Darren wanted to serve the masses of our people. He was a martyr, as the Minister called him, and he encourages the family to continue the struggle,” said Mr. Muhammad

Latoya Seals, the young man’s eldest sister, is on active duty in the United States Air Force and was away when her brother was killed. She expressed gratitude for the family her brother enjoyed among protestors and young people.

“I know you guys call him King. We call him Man Man and all week I’ve been hearing his voice in the back of my head and he’s been telling me you know, ‘Sister be strong. It’s going to be okay.’ And I know after today now that I have you guys and that I have another family that I’ll be okay. It’s gonna be hard and I know that everybody knows it’s gonna be hard but I just want you guys to know that I’m here, my family’s here. He’s not here alive but we still have his spirit. So please, when you guys need something from me, I’m a phone call away. I’m a message away and trust me I’ll be messaging you because I’ll definitely need you guys’ strength,” she said.

Darren Seals’ 14-year-old brother electrified the audience when he spoke with such strength and courage in honor of his big brother. The youth’s words were very emotional as he paused at times to wipe the tears from his eyes.

“He wasn’t only like my brother but he was like a father to me like we always stayed together every day. He taught me about Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X and Nat Turner. Ya’ll know him as King, King D. Seals … but he’s fallen and he’s gone but he living through me right now. But to me right now I took a piece of his heart but ya’ll still got a king and it’s me,” he raised his fist in the air as everyone in the church stood on their feet cheering.

Darren Seals, Jr.’s body was found in his Jeep Wrangler completely torched on Sept. 6 in Riverview, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. According to Riverview police he was shot in the head before his vehicle was set on fire. The St. Louis County police department is still investigating his death.

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