Community Awareness: Police Brutality in the U.S. (Coursera)

In this course, you will learn about the history of police violence in America, become aware of laws and policies that prevent accountability, understand the demands of protesters, and gain the knowledge and tools to fight for change locally. The content for this Community Awareness course is adapted from a Teach-Out launched in July of 2020 from experts from across the United States involved in activism, social work, law, government, and higher education.

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Introduction and History

An introductory history to the roots of modern policing in the United States.

WEEK 2

Understanding the Impact of Police Violence

An overview of some of the many costs of police violence to the lives of individuals and communities impacted by police violence.

WEEK 3

Policing in a Modern Context

In this module, we will cover some of the pressing issues in the patterns and practices of modern policing in the United States that present challenges to preventing police violence and misconduct.

WEEK 4

Responding to Police Brutality

In this module, we will explore the various ways that individuals and communities are working to respond to systemic police violence and misconduct from the arts and popular culture to our experts thoughts on how we can address policing issues locally and nationally.

WEEK 5

Taking action

In this module, you will find resources, advice, and strategies for planning how you can contribute to positive change in your community and develop an action plan to move forward.