What is Critical Race Theory?

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic framework that examines how racism is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions. It helps us understand that racism isn’t just about individual actions or prejudice—it’s also about systems and structures that uphold inequality.

Rather than focusing on personal blame, CRT asks us to look at history and power dynamics to uncover how inequality persists and what we can do to address it.

The History of CRT

CRT was developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by a group of legal scholars, including Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Richard Delgado. It emerged as a response to the limitations of the Civil Rights Movement, which focused on overt discrimination but didn’t fully address systemic and institutional racism.

• Derrick Bell, often called the father of CRT, argued that racism is a permanent feature of American society and must be continually challenged.

• Kimberlé Crenshaw expanded CRT by introducing the concept of intersectionality, which explores how overlapping identities (e.g., race, gender, class) impact experiences of discrimination and privilege.

CRT is now used in disciplines beyond law, including education, sociology, and literature, to analyze how power and privilege operate in society.

Why CRT Matters Today

CRT gives us tools to critically examine systems of inequality and work toward justice. By understanding history, we can better address the challenges marginalized communities face and create more equitable policies and institutions.

However, CRT has become a controversial topic in the U.S. In recent years, there have been efforts to ban CRT from schools and workplaces, with some lawmakers arguing that it promotes division. These efforts are often based on misunderstandings of what CRT actually is.

Current Laws and Policies Pushing CRT Out of Schools

• States like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee have passed laws banning the teaching of CRT in public schools.

• These laws often define CRT broadly, mislabeling discussions about racism, history, or social justice as CRT.

• Some policies restrict educators from teaching about systemic racism, intersectionality, or white privilege, limiting critical discussions in classrooms.

Common Misconceptions About CRT

1. "CRT teaches that all white people are racist."

• Truth: CRT does not assign blame to individuals based on their race. Instead, it examines how systemic racism is built into laws and institutions, regardless of individual intentions.

2. "CRT teaches people to hate America."

• Truth: CRT does not promote hatred. It encourages critical thinking about history and systems to create a better, more just society for everyone.

3. "CRT is taught in K-12 schools."

• Truth: CRT is primarily an academic framework taught in law schools and universities. Discussions about race and equity in K-12 schools are not CRT but are often mislabeled as such.

4. "CRT divides people by race."

• Truth: CRT aims to address existing divisions by shining a light on systemic inequalities. Its goal is to bring people together through understanding and equity.

5. "CRT is new and radical."

• Truth: CRT has been around for decades and is rooted in long-standing efforts to address racial injustice in the U.S.

Why CRT is Essential

By addressing the root causes of inequality, CRT equips us to build a more inclusive and equitable society. It empowers us to examine uncomfortable truths about history and work toward systemic change.

As Kimberlé Crenshaw said:
"CRT is a way of seeing, attending to, accounting for, tracing, and analyzing the ways that race is produced—the ways that racial inequality is facilitated."