- A Black male is pulled over, searched and questioned/harassed by cops simply because he is driving an expensive car
- Another Black male college student is pulled off of a bus because he happens to be the only Black male on the bus and cops had received a report that a Black male robbed a store
- Neither of these individuals had committed a crime
Street Law began at Georgetown in 1972, and every year it sends law students into Washington, D.C. high schools to teach the year-long course. Classroom exercises help defuse teen/cop tensions through a combination of education and empathy through role-play. The result is a healing of the erosion of trust that occurs when kids read and hear about scenarios like those listed above.
It gave kids a chance to take on police roles, and to put themselves in another situation. It also pushes students to think criticially, to analyze all sides, rather than reinforce their pre-existing stereotypes. The class is well received by students who feel disenfranchised or disengaged because "it is a place where people care about what they think," said one of the instructors.
In addition, students are empowered to shape their experience with cops as they also learn about the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, personal responsibility and the tools they have to protect themselves from over-the-top cops.
Read more about Street Law on Teaching Tolerance Magazine.
source: Teaching Tolerance Magazine, Spring 2005, School of Law by Ken Olsen