1.
What is Critical Race Theory? First, it is a specific way of
questioning the role of race and racism as it impacts the law and scholarship.
It would NEVER be used in grades K-8 as there is not enough background
information for kids to understand this. Even in high schools, it would not
likely be used as there isn’t enough background information for understanding.
Diversity and inclusion training do not use Critical Race
Theory for their basis. While the previous president issued order against the
teaching of diversity and inclusion training that included divisive concepts,
race or sex stereotyping/scapegoating being included in federal contracts, many
believe this violated free speech, equal protection and due process (Amendments
1, 5, 14).
Not all folks believe that CRT should be used in education –
this includes, by the way, people of color. Banning the teaching of race,
gender, stereotyping, divisive concepts, though, gave so many of us educators
pause. How can you ban divisive concepts in a classroom? When our school dress
code required belts, that became a divisive concept…get it? How do we teach
students that stereotyping is not a good way to go through life if we are not
even allowed to talk about it?
While Trump’s order has gone the path of all bad executive
orders, governors of some states have taken up his uneducated beliefs and are
trying to implement them. The legislation in some places bans CRT, in other
places, it is being interpreted to include race itself. A course taught at a
community college in OK has been cancelled (college used the term “paused”) because
the syllabus includes teaching about racial inequality. This happened in the
state that hid the Tulsa Massacre for nearly 100 years from the public, and
kept it out of the local history. The college is waiting for other post-secondary
institutions to take the law to court (“let the legal issues play out”).
Rather than dividing people by race or sex, as these
governors have insisted would be the result of such teaching, it has been my
experience that teaching about intersectionality of race, class, gender, sexual
orientation and other ways we group people rarely divides people. Think of a
Venn diagram, for example. Remember those overlapping circles we had to use in
school? When students are asked to put in their characteristics and then compare
with other students, these circles overlap as often as they don’t. Well, duh!
Back to what CRT is:
How race is socially constructed in America
Institutional racism continues to reinforce a caste system
based on race, with people of color at the bottom
Race intersects with sexuality, gender identity, class
(other identities)
History of racism is based on legacy of slavery, segregation,
2nd class citizenship imposed on people of color throughout the
social fabric of America.
I’m going to leave it here for now…would love comments! Next
up is key points in CRT.
References:
George, Janel. "A Lesson on Critical Race Theory". 1/12/2021. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race-theory/ , Accessed 6/24/2021
Knowles, Hannah. "Critical race theory ban". 5/29/2021. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/05/29/oklahoma-critical-race-theory-ban/
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