SoapBox
D-Tooned/by Rob Pudim
Teach accurate history Critical race theory, a once-obscure academic concept developed more than 40 years ago, has recently emerged as a source of contentious debate nationally and has become a lightning rod topic in school board elections locally. What is clear about most discussions about CRT, whether at the local or national level, is that the term is generally misused, mischaracterized and profoundly misunderstood. As a result, the rebranding of the term has misled the public, weaponizing the concept against the American people and creating toxicity where none should exist. CRT is an academic and legal framework used as “a way of looking at law’s role platforming, facilitating, producing and even insulating racial inequality in our country,” as defined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the law professor who helped coin the term. It is essentially an intellectual tool used to examine systemic racism. The recent redefining of the term by right-wing conservatives has academics in the field scratching their heads, especially those who originally developed the theory. At its core, CRT maintains that racial inequality is embedded in the U.S. legal system and culture, negatively affecting people of color in their schools, jobs, doctor’s offices, the criminal justice system and many other aspects of their lives. Essentially, CRT simply calls for the acknowledgment of the realities and horrors of slavery and its lingering impacts on our nation. Like many other Trump-inspired conservative notions, the outcry over CRT is based on misplaced fear. Co-opted by Republicans and right-wing media, the term “critical race theory” has been amplified on cable news shows such as Fox with false proclamations that CRT is racist,
anti-white and divisive. The theory is currently being falsely equated with any examination of systemic racism and used as an umbrella term to cover any conversation associated with anti-racism, especially those related to education.
In fact, CRT is not part of K-12 school curriculum or taught in most states with the loudest protests. A survey conducted by the Association of American Educators found that 96% of responding teachers indicated that their schools do not require them to teach critical race »
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