Jay Nixon, Governor of Missouri has declared a state of emergency ahead of the grand jury decision that will reveal whether a white police officer will face charges following the shooting of an 18-year-old African American.

The tensions are high in the suburbs of St Louis and nothing is more important on the minds of the African-American community than this verdict.

It's clear that the racial tensions in Ferguson are a major social flashpoint where people from all walks of life have been debating the realities of the situation and how law enforcement and the State have been dealing with the unrest.

This weekend, the 'Hands Up United' movement issued a public communiqué video that explains the viewpoints of Ferguson residents on institutionalized racism. The short documentary interviews a host of individuals with strong feelings about what's happened following the death of Michael Brown and is pushing for significant change:

With a nation holding its breath we can only hope that police officers, officials and residents can solve this crisis once and for all, whatever the outcome may be.