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Anti White, About Critical Race Theory (CRT) Is Defined
Anti White: Discussions about Critical Race Theory have recently dominated public discourse.
Critical race theory (CRT) is defined as a “framework that provides scholars, practitioners, and policymakers with a race-conscious approach to studying educational inequity and structural racism in order to discover solutions that lead to greater justice.”
Race is employed as a fundamental mechanism in CRT to identify, unpack, and evaluate how institutions and processes sustain racial inequality and maintain a racial hierarchy system. Kimberlé Crenshaw, along with Neil Gotanda and Stephanie Phillips, was one of the founding members of the CRT movement in 1989.
CRT investigates how racism is able to persist because it is ingrained in society’s fabric
Dr. Angel Jones, a critical race scholar, explained why she became interested in CRT in an email.
“During my doctoral study, I was first introduced to Critical Race Theory. As a Black woman at a largely White institution, I was immediately drawn to it because it was the first time I read a theory that acknowledged the significance of race and racism in my experiences both inside and outside of the Academy.
It gave me a sense of belonging.” CRT is a useful lens for understanding differences in housing, education, and healthcare, but not everyone agrees with it, and some argue that it should not be taught to children in schools.
Despite overwhelming evidence of how racism pervades every institution and structure in the United States and worldwide, CRT and its validity are increasingly being questioned.
There is still a failing to recognise the cruel and grotesque legacy of racism that is sustained structurally and socially in many countries with a recorded history of enslavement and genocide.
It appears to be easier to dismiss the past as a distant recollection that has no bearing on our current situation.
Keith Ammon, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, introduced a bill in January that was curiously similar to Trump’s diversity training ban, which was pushed through in 2020.
According to The Atlantic, Ammon’s bill prevents schools and organisations from hiring people to research “divisive themes” such “race or sex scapegoating.” Similar laws have been introduced in states such as Arkansas, Idaho, and even Louisiana.
It’s worth noting that the CRT backlash isn’t limited to white conservatives in the South and rural areas of the United States. Some of the opposition to the CRT comes from people who are most affected by racialized systems. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who also happens to be the Senate’s lone Black Republican, recently stated, “America is not a racist country.”
Vernon Jones, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, recently disputed Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, an academic and political commentator, about whether CRT should be taught in schools. “It’s time for our schools to stop teaching our children to hate America,” Jones wrote on Twitter. CRT criticism is not limited to the United States.
In a recent Instagram live conversation, activist and educator Constanza Eliana Chinea explored the global pushback against CRTs. Chinea noted Kemi Badenoch, a British politician who has been a vocal opponent of CRT. CRT authors, according to Badenoch, truly want a “segregated society.”
Adopting the idea that Black people are victims solely because to their skin colour is “poisonous for young people,” she added. Similar resistance has occurred in France, where anti-racism educators and campaigners have been accused of “threaten[ing] the republic’s principles.”
CRT has also been attacked in Australia, with many claiming that it is “anti-white.” Chinea noted in her Instagram live video that the increased pushback against CRT is a direct result of the growing support for Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd.
Despite the fact that discussions regarding CRT are likely to be ongoing and heated, it is critical for everyone to understand how racism and white supremacy have influenced how systems and structures function. “Learning about CRT is vital because you must first be able to identify oppressive systems before you can challenge them.
Dr. Angel Jones states, “CRT promotes students to become more civically active by providing them with the tools they need to think critically about issues of race and racism.” Regardless of the opposition, it is critical to raise awareness of CRT. “Education is the best approach to overcome the backlash and criticism of CRT,”
Dr. Jones says. Many opponents of CRT, as Vernon Jones and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill demonstrated throughout their interview, do not have a complete understanding of what it is. “Many of its opponents have never heard of it, and their opposition stems from a fear of the unknown,”
Dr. Jones continues. “Moreover, improved information would aid in dispelling the myths and prejudices around it. Contrary to popular belief, it is racism that is the enemy, not CRT. And we overcome that foe by utilising critical frameworks such as CRT to assist us in confronting systematic oppression.”
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