Diversity Summit Presentation: Addressing Structural Injustice

Students from my winter 2012 Denver Urban Issues and Policy class and I will be co-presenting at the 2012 Diversity Summit at the University of Denver. In our interactive presentation titled "Addressing Structural Injustice: Racial Profiling and Police Brutality in Denver" we will share our experiences from an inclusive and democratic classroom community and partnership with a local non-profit.The presentation will include a screening of "I Used to Want to Be a Cop..." a student-created documentary video short (13min), which highlights personal accounts of racial profiling and assault in Denver. This video was first screenedin the Five Points neighborhood of Denver at a community event co-organized by DU students and the Colorado Progressive Coalition (CPC) in an effort to stir discussion, raise awareness, and as part of a larger organizing campaign by the Colorado Progressive Coalition's (CPC) Racial Justice and Civil Rights Program.The documentary video shorts will be used by CPC to support a national call/petition for a federal investigation into Denver's loss of institutional control of its law enforcement system, and for a "Know Your Rights" campaign surrounding CO HB 1201, the "informed consent" bill. In 2010, CPC spearheaded this groundbreaking legislation, aimed at ending disparities regarding police stops and searches. Colorado is now the only state to provide "consent to search" protection to pedestrians. Police officers must now inform civilians of their right to refuse a search request when no probable cause exists. In addition, officers must obtain verbal or written consent before conducting such a voluntary search.Workshop participants will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with students and the faculty instructor on topics such as: creating an inclusive classroom community; democratic and popular education techniques as inclusive excellence; public partnerships that support learning and effectively address critical community issues; the "new Jim Crow" in Denver; and power, race, gender, and sexual identity.If you will be in the Denver area May 3-4, 2012, register online to attend the Diversity Summit before the midnight registration deadline on April 30th.