Missouri State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal says that a race war is in full swing after a grand jury failed to indict Ferguson officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown. In an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell just hours after the announcement, Nadal accuses the police department and state government of systematic racism.

In her statement, she also criticized St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch for failing to get an indictment from the grand jury.

The senator also went on to say:

“This is St. Louis’s race war. We didn’t have a race war like other cities throughout the country. This is our race war. And people have to be open, and they have to be honest. And they have to earnest. And they have not been earnest for decades.”

Maria Chappelle-Nadal used the term “race war” a number of times to express her sentiment of the situation and overall handling of the case from the start. She has even slammed fellow democrat and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon. In fact, she lashed out at him on her Twitter account using some colorful language and incendiary remarks:

Earlier, Nadal, who is also a Universal City school board member, appeared on a segment with MSNBC’s Joy Reid and proclaimed that students from her district are prepared to protest in the wake of the Ferguson grand jury decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D3ctQ94LuI

Maria Chappelle-Nadal’s declaration of a race war is really no surprise given her vocal involvement in Ferguson since the shooting. She is quite a controversial figure, and while Michael Brown supporters see her as a crusader for justice that is often denied to blacks in a white-dominated society, critics liken her to prominent race agitators, such as Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson who are known for stirring the racial pot and creating greater resentment and division.

[photo credit: Jamelle Bouie]