Critical Race Theory has begun to take more and more space in elections especially on School Board Elections. What is it and why are some people so against it? And why do we have some many Republican politicians using it as a wedge issue? First what it is.

By A Govea

 The basic explanation that people that have studied this issue for years and other scholars is the following: C.R.T. is a concept that racism is a social construct and that is not just the product of individual bias or prejudice but also something that is inherent in our legal system, and many polices that have affected everyday life of us all. It emerged out of a framework for legal analysis in the late 1970s by Richard Delgado, Derrick Bell, Kimberlee Crenshaw, and others. An example of their theory is the fact that in the 1930s government officials drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, very often those areas were primarily due to the racial composition of its inhabitants. So, if you were in the business of lending money those were areas you steered cleared of them or only offered high interest rates to the people in the red-line districts.  

  Some of those practices have died slow deaths despite federal laws meant to guarantee equality to all U.S. citizens. However, the far right want to tell anyone that listens that minorities are beginning to have more rights than them, they are wrong. Many in the Republican party and some only plain ignorant people charge that CRT leads to identity over universal shared traits and divides people into oppressed and oppressor groups. Further some of those same people claim is that it teaches all white people are racist and isn’t’ that racist too? Which has led for some white parents going to school board meeting to loudly protest any kind of discussion of race or current events that may center around race. In fact, this misguided rhetoric has now become a political platform for some seeking office. 

  Further the ultra-conservative organization the Heritage Foundation has blamed CRT for a whole host of social issues that have led to advocacy movements or groups. Such as the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, LGBTQ clubs in schools, diversity training in federal agencies and in the armed forces. And much more such as elective culture-based curriculum. Which to me and I would expect most forward minded people would see as a positive thing. I would summarize CRT as just a way of explaining how some groups in our country have been affected by misguided or plain discriminatory laws. And how this country has taken steps to correct as to form A More Perfect Union. It does not teach White kids to hate their parents and themselves as some say and raise money by saying so. 

  So those of you that are confused by ant-CRT group please take the time to research yourself and I don’t’ mean on Facebook groups. The truth will set you free and remember if you deny history you are doomed to repeat it.  Want to go further on racial history check out Exterminate all the Brutes on HBO Max.