This summer the Juvenile Justice Center has been privileged to work with kids all over the city through our Know Your Rights Theatre Workshops. When you consider our country’s current political climate, compounded with stories of civilians being murdered by police every few weeks it becomes clear why it is important to arm young people with skills for surviving interactions with law enforcement.
We teach them to never run from police, how to use skills of de-escalation, and what their actual rights are when dealing with officers, so that they can navigate these interactions as safely as possible. We often invite participants to share personal stories where they dealt with police officers. Some offer antidotes about loved ones on the force, police who have helped them when they were in trouble, or gave them a second chance when they made poor decisions. On the other hand, we often hear heartbreaking stories of children being harassed by police, parents being targeted for minor infractions, or friends being assaulted by those charged with keeping us safe. These stories represent the trauma afflicting communities of color and we’ve seen the effects this has on our young people. It is our goal that throughout this summer, we have been able to bring better understanding t the young people we have had the chance to encounter, and that they can have positive outcomes in their future interactions with law enforcement.
We have been busy this summer running Know Your Rights Theatre workshops with over 600 participants across the city. We have visited the Boys & Girls Club of Hickory Hill, Girls Inc, and almost every community center in the city! Each of these sites serves youth from elementary through middle school who have learned how to more safely navigate experiences with law enforcement. We use improv theatre to help them act out realistic scenarios with police, tell them how to safely exercise their rights (which we tie back to the constitution and case law), as well as teaching them deescalation techniques. We believe that when we approach law enforcement from a place of knowledge, instead of what we learned on Law & Order, that everyone is safer.
We have a busy summer ahead of us. We need food and beverage donations for our JJP Days of service (mostly snacks) and your financial support. Donate today at https://midsouthpeace.org/g