Demystifying Critical Race Theory
Critical Race Theory—also known as CRT—has been a hot topic in the United States over the last few years, but in my opinion, for reasons that are beyond concerning. Many states have banned the topic in schools and Virginia's Governor has gone so far as to set up a tip line to report teachers for teaching it—even though it was never part of the curriculum to begin with.
We’re reaching a critical point in America, and while progress is happening, it’s often a one step forward, two steps back kind of situation. While statues of racist figures are toppled, white nationalists are feeling emboldened enough to go door-to-door to intimidate their neighbors. With these kinds of contradictions, it’s no real surprise that there’s so much confusion about Critical Race Theory.
The fact of the matter is that living in America today is a different experience for people in the BIPOC community than it is for white and white-passing people. And I get it—it’s not always easy for white people to truly understand that particular experience because they don’t face it themselves on a daily basis. But this is why education is so important, and why Critical Race Theory needs to be demystified.
To lift the veil on CRT, we have to get back to the basics of what it is and what it isn’t, and that’s exactly what I’ll be getting into here today. Let’s dig in.
What Is Critical Race Theory?
Critical Race Theory—simply put—is the idea that race is a socially constructed concept rather than a difference in biology. Think of it this way: if we all lived in a world where everyone looked the same, with the same skin tone, eye color, hair texture, and had equal access to education and opportunities, it’s impossible to imagine that world even having racism or descrimination at all, don’t you think?
Of course, we don’t have that luxury. So then what does it mean that racism is a socially constructed concept? Let’s look at slavery, for example. We know that this country was built on the backs of slaves who were taken from Africa and brought to America to be exploited as servants and workers. Through 250 years there existed an extreme power imbalance between Black slaves and their white “owners.” How can we expect that power imbalance to have unraveled by now? Spoiler alert: it hasn’t. There’s a common myth that racism ended with slavery, but we don’t have to look very far to understand that’s just not the case. Segregation, for instance, ended in the United States in 1964—99 years after slavery was abolished. And today we still see the impacts.
You’ve probably heard of systemic or institutional racism, which is racism that is so ingrained in society that discrimination becomes normalized in parts of society. Like how the median household income in Black families is 60% of what a white family might make. Or the glaring statistic that Black Americans are 3.23 times more likely to be killed by police. Or why the Ku Klux Klan isn’t labelled as a terrorist organization. Or why Black women are 2 to 6 more times likely to die during childbirth in a hospital. I could go on, but you can’t deny that these facts aren’t coincidental.
Critical Race Theory aims to shed light on how racism in the United States has shaped the public policy that allows it to continue echoing throughout our society now. It’s a way for us to address the wrongdoings of our shared past so that we’re able to move forward on a path of healing and greater equality.
What Critical Race Theory Isn’t
This topic is seen by some as placing an unnecessary divide between white and Black Americans. Our former President called CRT “anti-American propaganda,” and many others share that view. But CRT doesn’t aim to divide, nor does it aim to be anti-American. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Teaching children and young adults about America’s past and how it’s still perpetuated today isn’t propaganda, it’s accountability. When my children do something they’re not supposed to do, I, like many other parents, will sit them down and explain to them what they did, how it impacted others around them, and why it’s important that it doesn’t happen again—and the very same can be said about the purpose of CRT.
None of us can change what has already happened in the past, and none of us were directly responsible for slavery. Critical Race Theory isn’t a punishment for white people, it’s a way for us all to learn from the past so that it never repeats itself, and so that we all have the opportunity to move forward in a stronger, and more united way. I hope this has helped you to better understand, or even demystify, Critical Race Theory.