Can Government Class Revolutionize Police Encounters?

A brief “Know Your Rights” curriculum being added to Government and Civics classes throughout the country could dramatically mitigate the risks faced by civilians and police throughout interactions, increase police accountability, decrease incarceration rates, and save lives.

Austin Crowder moves the TEDx audience through the unit’s learning process and invites them to experience what makes it effective and explore the remarkable survey data demonstrating its impact. He paints a picture of how, if scaled, the unit could fundamentally shift the narrative around police encounters, benefit both civilian and officer, mitigate dangerous escalation, increase self-efficacy of civilians, and lower incarceration rates.

The grandson of Polish and Latvian refugees, Austin is passionate about the power of education. He currently teaches government and economics at The Soulsville Charter School in South Memphis. Throughout nine years as an educator, he has developed a “Know Your Rights Unit” for civics classes throughout the city and country. Hoping to expand his efficacy in addressing the challenges students face, he completed the Teaching Policy Fellowship through Teach Plus, the Tennessee Educator Fellowship through the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, and presently is a Religious Literacy and Education Fellow at Harvard University. He is twice a finalist in the National Civil Rights Museum’s Drop the Mic Poetry Slam competition, an original cast member of “Union: the Musical” about the Sanitation Strike of 1968, and has contributed to publications such as the Commercial Appeal, Huffington Post, I Love Memphis Blog, and SBNation to get the word out about the great things going on in Memphis education and otherwise. Austin has also been named to the Memphis Flyer's 20 under 30.