Why is everyone talking about critical race theory? A radical perspective
Written by Olivia Deally
What is critical race theory and why has it been in the news recently? Like many things in the USAmerican political discourse, the outrage over this subject, while based on legitimate societal issues that deserve attention, is oversimplified and manufactured by powerful interests to obstruct any efforts toward progressive change.
The definition of CRT
First, let’s talk about what critical race theory (CRT) actually is. CRT is an academic theory that came about in the 1970-80s from the academic discipline of Critical Legal Studies and its contributing scholars such as Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw (whom you may recognize as the scholar who coined the term intersectionality) and Richard Delgado.
The theory is used as an analytical framework to interrogate how the social construct of race is used to shape societal institutions such as laws and politics. In other words, CRT is used to connect the past and present in order to understand how racism operates in society, not to legitimize the idea that race is a biological trait or that racism is simply just mean-spirited individuals’ prejudice.
Why is there outrage over CRT?
Ever since the police-involved murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis, the national and global conversation about race has significantly shifted as millions of people particpated in uprisings against racism and police violence in the summer of 2020. Such changes can be seen in media coverage, statements made by Fortune 500 companies, the toppling of statues, increases in workplace diversity training and so on.
For some USAmericans, particularly white conservatives, these changes have led to confusion, anxiety and fear in regards to their own social position and power. These emotions are easy targets for those who seek to increase their own power, such as conservative activist Christopher Rufo, the Fox News channel, dark money groups or even former U.S. President Donald Trump. Critical race theory has therefore become a catch-all term used by the right-wing to describe any policy or discussion related to race.
The frenzy over CRT has even escalated to the point of conservative politicians around the country proposing to ban the theory from being taught in public schools, despite it being used mainly in higher education. Now that CRT is being used as a catch-all term by the right-wing, these laws are vague and make teachers uncertain about what they can and cannot teach in their classrooms. The result of such confusion is the suppression of any discussion on race and inequality.
Why are powerful interests obsessed with stopping discussion of race?
Although talking about factual, historical events or being more inclusive in schools and workplaces do not amount to what CRT actually is, discussions of anything regarding race have received backlash because there is potential for fundamental change in how USAmerican society is viewed.
The work that scholars have done to uncover the harsh truth that racism has played a significant role in USAmerican society range from topics such as housing segregation, the Tulsa race massacre, understanding what the Confederacy stood for or how slavery and genocide were fundamental elements to the construction of USAmerican wealth.
The powers that be would rather that young people not learn the truth of how race is cynically used to divide people to benefit ruling classes. Those who benefit from the status quo would prefer us to believe that even if there is racism in the contemporary U.S., it is because of flawed individual prejudice.
The more honest conversations around race become, the potential for radical change and revolutionary thought is more likely as people come to better understand racial capitalism. The one thing conservative activists might be right about is that the U.S. government and multinational corporations promoting anti-racism and/or CRT are quite ironic considering their sole purpose of serving the needs of a global, racialized economy.
Header via Clay Banks / Unsplash
