Let’s begin by defining Critical Race Theory or CRT since there seems to be so much confusion. According to James Causey in an opinion piece in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Critical race theory cannot be reduced to a bumper sticker slogan. At its core, it argues that we all can start to address our nation’s problems with race and racism if we admit to the wrong of slavery and look at how laws, systems, policies, and institutions contributed to racial inequities and continue to do so.
“More broadly, it is an academic framework that looks at whether systems and policies perpetuate racism. The idea is that race is central to the social, political, and economic makeup of the country and that racism is not simply a matter of individual bigotry.”
The concept of CRT was developed in the 1970s and ’80s by African American scholar and professor Derrick Bell, a champion in the civil rights movement. Bell, who died in 2011, challenged people to see how racism was and still is embedded in government systems and intentionally created disadvantages for people of color.
Bottom line: The only people who would disagree with CRT are those who deny we have a race problem in this country or those who benefit from keeping racist policies and laws in place.
Confusing messages are occurring: When I first saw the commercial on critical race theory, I thought I was watching a precious interaction between a black father, and his daughter. (It’s been shown frequently during football games across Wisconsin.)
Both look into the camera, and he tells her, “Daddy teaches you that you can be anything you want in this world. Don’t Daddy teach you that?”
Royalty, a sweet little girl with glasses who is missing her two front teeth, responds, “It doesn’t matter if you are Black or white or any color.” And then, Kory says, “Critical race theory wants to end that.”
“You can make friends no matter what color you are, so we need to stop CRT,” Kory said.
The ad ends with American flags in the background and a voiceover saying: “The truth wins when we are all brave enough to tell it.”
The truth is this ad, and its entire message, is a lie. Not just a cute…but a big lie.
Now that I’ve become “more woke” to this reality…what upsets me the most is the conservatives who used this gentleman as a pawn to push their agenda of keeping us ignorant about race in America…robbing us of conversations we urgently need to heal our country.
Smith goes on to clarify…”whenever I hear people critical of CRT, they typically cite the following:
- It will create a further divide between Blacks and whites in America.
- It teaches hate.
- It will make white kids feel terrible about being white.
- It makes white people of today feel responsible for slavery and racism.
Why wouldn’t we want to be smarter about race? It’s a great question. Critical race theory is a framework for people to answer questions about our race problem using a lens based on facts of historical and current data…typically taught at the upper graduate levels in college.
Smith said CRT has become a hot-button issue among conservatives who are out to make it a term people should fear and, therefore, shut down the discussion on race in America. He argues we can never move forward if we don’t have an honest dialogue about all of this country’s racial history (from indigenous Indians, Japanese Internment Camps,, anti-Irish settlement, black slavery, holocaust survivors, etc.) The truth needs to be told so history is not repeated!
If we continue to fear monger over the disclosure of true American history, no issues on the basis of race will be solved, and many students will wander the world having not found their place in it. The goal of Critical Race Theory, lies in how the theory allows for us to gain the knowledge of America’s past and how that past continues to impact today’s students. This knowledge could allow us to recognize the malpractices of today’s public educational system and how it currently disregards students who are from a lower socio-economic background, denying them the same opportunities to find their place.
Let’s stay woke Warriors and let’s keep the CRT discussion alive for further healing.
Spiritual Meditation: “When we are standing strong and solid with our ancestors, our vision will be clear even if the road isn’t straight.” – Daily Medicine