Leslie McSpadden

Joining us now from St. Louis, Michael Brown's mother, Leslie McSpadden.

Joining us now from St. Louis, Michael Brown's mother, Leslie McSpadden.

Canfield is a torture site. Canfield is like ground zero for me. What they did on Canfield changed my life forever.

Canfield is a torture site. Canfield is like ground zero for me. What they did on Canfield changed my life forever.

So many of my family members were there. Cousins, aunts, uncles. It was so many people there for Mike's birth. And the same way Mike came into this world with a lot of people around him is the same way he left. You know, so I've always felt that God gave me that baby for a reason. That's why May 20th will always be a special day to me because I had a baby. Michael Landis Darion Brown.

So many of my family members were there. Cousins, aunts, uncles. It was so many people there for Mike's birth. And the same way Mike came into this world with a lot of people around him is the same way he left. You know, so I've always felt that God gave me that baby for a reason. That's why May 20th will always be a special day to me because I had a baby. Michael Landis Darion Brown.

Everybody spells it different. Like Niecy, she's spelling Ned Poo. N-E-D Poo. They call me Neddy Poo. Her mama call me Nella Poo. Some people just call me Ned. Some people call me LeNeddy. You call me Neddy. You see what I'm saying? Like my mom may say Neddy some stuff, but it started off as Neddy Poo.

Everybody spells it different. Like Niecy, she's spelling Ned Poo. N-E-D Poo. They call me Neddy Poo. Her mama call me Nella Poo. Some people just call me Ned. Some people call me LeNeddy. You call me Neddy. You see what I'm saying? Like my mom may say Neddy some stuff, but it started off as Neddy Poo.

I'm still Mike's mom right now. Once you're a mother, you never forget how the mother was.

I'm still Mike's mom right now. Once you're a mother, you never forget how the mother was.

She lived in the biggest house on the block. Everybody came to her house for the holidays, and most of the neighbors were on her porch every day because she had a lot of grandkids. My grandmother had eight children. I can't even count all the grandkids, but we all migrated there. If it wasn't after school every day, it was on the weekends and most definitely on holidays.

She lived in the biggest house on the block. Everybody came to her house for the holidays, and most of the neighbors were on her porch every day because she had a lot of grandkids. My grandmother had eight children. I can't even count all the grandkids, but we all migrated there. If it wasn't after school every day, it was on the weekends and most definitely on holidays.

We were just like one big family.

We were just like one big family.

She's been with me through good times, bad times. She's just never left my side, so she's been more than a cousin.

She's been with me through good times, bad times. She's just never left my side, so she's been more than a cousin.

really close as being cousins, sisters. We come from a family that fed the whole neighborhood. We come from a family that every holiday, they may have family coming from out of town, but somehow they ended up on our grandmother's porch.

really close as being cousins, sisters. We come from a family that fed the whole neighborhood. We come from a family that every holiday, they may have family coming from out of town, but somehow they ended up on our grandmother's porch.

And we ended up in the street playing court, some type of ball game, some type of high goal seat, either putting on your skates, rolling through the street and riding a bike. And our grandmother was playing polkino. Yes, we loved it.

And we ended up in the street playing court, some type of ball game, some type of high goal seat, either putting on your skates, rolling through the street and riding a bike. And our grandmother was playing polkino. Yes, we loved it.