A United Understanding of
Critical Race Theory
Schools in America have once again become a primary battleground, this time around the phrase “critical race theory.” As North Dakota United has fielded a number of calls and emails about this topic in recent months, this article is intended to help us all have a conversation, together, about what exactly Critical Race Theory is, as well as what it isn’t. What is Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic concept that emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s. In current form, it is a body of legal scholarship that critically examines the intersection of race and United States law. CRT is taught in law school and other graduate school programs, solely to adults. 8
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ND United Voices
Critical Race Theory is a legal theory that examines the understanding that who we are, the laws we have in place, the histories that have been handed down to us, have been shaped by race. The basic tenets theorize that racism and disparate racial outcomes are the result of complex, changing, and often subtle social and institutional dynamics, rather than explicit and intentional prejudices in individuals.
