On October 11, 2014 Dr. Tony Jackson and Cephus, “Uncle Bobby” and Beatrice Johnson (Oscar Grant’s uncle and aunt) facilitated and presented a workshop titled “Police Terrorism, Mass Incarceration, and The Criminalization of Black and Brown Youth.” The workshop was presented to an overflow audience. Participants were introduced to the last day of young Oscar Grant’s life, the importance of understanding the impact that police encounters can have on the lives of young people, and what young people of color need to know when dealing with the police. The film, Fruitvale Station and the accompanying survival workbook for African American Males, Dare To Be King, What If the Prince Lives? served as an outline for the workshop. Participants were largely educators focused on social justice and community members and activists.
The workshop raised awareness, provided meaningful dialogue and engaged educational experiences on police detainment using the film Fruitvale Station as a starting point.
The facilitators provide this workshop and training for youth on behalf of the Love Not Blood Campaign. During the session participants received information that they will be able to apply directly when dealing with the police, video recording the police, and understanding their Constitutional Rights.
The Dare to Be King, What If the Prince Lives? workbook that accompanies the film, Fruitvale Station, is written for use in a diverse range of educational settings: schools, youth centers, activist organizations, and for anyone in those environments interested in educating young people of color about police detainment, mass incarceration, and the criminalization of young people in the United States and using the film Fruitvale Station as a tool for social justice.
For more information on the Teachers 4 Social Justice Conference follow the link below.
http://t4sj.org/events/conference-2014/
Article and images by Dr. Tony Jackson
