Dhoruba Shakur
Essential Question
What are the characteristics of healthy, sustainable communities?
Themes from Truth Teller Testimonies:
? Militarization of Police
? Unjust Legal Systems
? Structural Poverty
? Grief/Trauma
Description
Truth Teller Dhoruba Shakur, a youth leader and community activist from Ferguson, took to the streets the day after the murder of Mike Brown Jr. Drawing from his position about gun ownership for protection and self defense, Dhoruba promotes educating Black communities about their rights.
Learning Opportunities for Community Leaders and Educators
Explain to participants that they will view Dhoruba’s testimony and that you will pause the video for a “stop and discuss” process at points where questions emerge. Allow for discussion and continue viewing Dhoruba’s story.
Guiding Questions (Stop & Discuss)
? What do you care about in your community and want to preserve for future generations?
? What circumstances, if any, led you to protect and act on behalf of the safety, health, and future of all the members of your community?
? What motivated you to act, and what principles, values, or ethics guide that activism? Stop & Discuss
? In what ways would you reform the police departments?
? How would you justify and present these reforms to groups working towards the elimination of police violence?
Extensions
1. Participants will define the term “activism.” After writing out their definition, participants will create an acrostic poem that helps to explain activism. Each line should begin with the letters in activism (the first line starts with A the second with C, etc.). After exploring the term activism, participants will create a collage of images that document activism. In pairs, participants will select images from newspapers, magazines, and/or Google Images that depict activism in contemporary society. Participants should place these images on poster board or construction paper. For each image, participants will write a one-sentence caption and a short explanation of why they choose each image.
2. Another aspect of Dhoruba’s truth-telling testimony addresses the application of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Review the readings in Resources about how law enforcers do or do not protect this right in Black communities. Discuss in a group or journal a response to the questions below:
a. Can gun ownership keep our families and communities safe? How has the Second Amendment not been applied to People of Color? What impact on gun ownership could demilitarizing the police force have?
b. How can youth prepare themselves as citizens for a sustainable community and contribute to systemic change?
Resources
Civil Disobedience and Civil Rights in Ferguson
Do Black Citizens Have a Right to Bear Arms?