Student Reading List
Baldwin, James. Fifth Avenue, Uptown. Perfection Learning Corporation, 1990. This piece originally appeared in Esquire and is a gripping image of poverty and life in a neighborhood harassed by the police and deprived of justice. Baldwin’s words are eerily relevant almost 60 years later.
Rhodes, Jewell Parker. Ghost Boys. Little, Brown, 2019. An award-winning story about a middle school boy gunned down by a police officer. The set-up closely mirrors the shooting of Antwon Rose and gives students the opportunity to make connections to instances of police violence, both real and imagined, through time.
“The Constitution of the United States of America.” National Constitution Center, constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution#. The foundational text of the unit, the United States Constitution will serve as the frame and lens through which students understand police militarization and how it threatens our democracy.
Williams, Rachel Marie-Crane. Blue & Black: Stories of Policing and Violence. 2012. Visually stunning and true depictions of police violence give students a glimpse of the impact on both individuals and communities.
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