What is Critical Race Theory?

[AndyS]

I've tried to simplify this at the end, so read on and if you have a better 'elevator speech' share it.

So, what exactly is Critical Race Theory? To begin it is poorly named but that aside it isn't a single educational class, It is discipline like Math, Theoretical Physics or Philosophy. It is NOT taught in K-12 or even in two year colleges. It is a post graduate course of study.

What does CRT encompass? One description, outlined by Rodney Coates, professor of global and intercultural studies at Miami University, is that it has three components:

1. Observing multiple viewpoints and voices in order to understand America. For example, Coates said, looking at the year 1776 from the vantage point of a Native American would tell a different story than through the eyes of a slave, and different still from the voice of a British colonist gaining independence in the newly formed U.S.
2. Looking  at bias in systems, practices and policies. The war on drugs, for example, disproportionately incarcerated young Black men.
3. Working to make those systems and practices equitable.

I would add to #2 examining those past biases and evaluating how they still have a disproportionate effect on some cultures even after they are ended. For instance, Jimmy Carter ended Red Lining in 1977 yet home ownership among people of color is still disproportionately low. Why? Well it ended in 1977, took ten years to implement and home mortgages are usually 30 years. Count forward 40 years and it was 2017 before a Red Lined community could pass on the wealth for home ownership to it's families. Those communities have only had five years to catch up to affluent neighborhoods' centuries of growth.

Fine, so how do we break this down to an elevator speech?

First it is not taught in K-12 and CAN”T be taught there because it is a post graduate study--it needs too much background.

Second, it isn't what you've been told it is. It's not just one race against another. It is a way of understanding history by seeing it through other people's eyes. How would a typical British family of 1776 look at the American Revolution? They've been sending their young men in uniform here to protect the colonists with their tax dollars yet the colonies don't want to pay taxes?

Finally, by learning these things we can better understand history and not repeat the mistakes in it.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. Critical race theory is a way to talk about racism by examining how racial disparities and

oppression are systematically reproduced in our systems and institutions, starting with the legal system, despite liberal efforts at reform.

That's it. It's not about "other perspectives" or "complete histories."

[AndyS]

12. Professor Coates disagrees. nt

[WhiskeyGrinder]

15. Then he disagrees with the founders of the theory and its scholarship.

[AndyS]

18. Coates IS one of the founders.

CRT scholars define the theory slightly differently, but at its core are three main components, said Rodney Coates, professor of global and intercultural studies at Miami University. Coates has been teaching sociology and social justice at Miami for 32 years, including courses on critical race.

[Deminpenn]

44. Exactly

nt

[AZSkiffyGeek]

2. At this point the text book definition doesn't matter

Republican voters are convinced it means we're teaching that kids are racist - no point in saying that isn't we aren't teaching CRT because they don't care what it means, just what they think it means.
Colbert's truthiness right here.

[Claustrum]

14. It's not just that.

They are claiming there are multiple incidents where teachers are having their white grade students stand up and say "I am ____. I am white and I am racist."

I am not sure how real those incidents are as I only read them on reddit last night. But it is definitely not your text definition of the course and any parents would be scared if it actually happened.

[Sympthsical]

16. It does actually happen

And when it does, you can bet that story zooms around the Right portion of the Internet at warp speed.

So people see these incidents.

Then we go up to them and go, "You made it up! It doesn't happen!"

How are we supposed to engage people where they live when we won't even admit such a place exists?

[janterry]

19. I'm listening right now to a class in a middle school doing CRT on youtube

The teacher, perhaps with all good intentions, presented a wheel of oppression and the students are supposed to find out where they are on it. If they can it will help them dismantle 'systems of oppression.' She is using a wheel of power and privilege (here's a link)
https://www.thisishowyoucan.com/post/__wheel_of_power_and_privilege

Students can find themselves on there (are they mentally ill, insecurely house, neuro-diverse, wealthy, poor, able-bodied and so forth

So, yes, it does happen. I don't know how widespread it is. But it sure happens. My daughter's school did this, too. Kids were struggling to find identities that didn't make them privileged (her assessment).

[AndyS]

24. Humm, this doesn't seem to be a class being taught. nt

[janterry]

29. I'm pretty sure I said that was the wheel

? I didn't link to the class. It's on youtube, it's a class in a Seattle middle school. I found it just by googling it.
Did you want to listen?

Here's what they put in the description: Canyon Park Middle School in Bothell, WA

They have the teachers name, but I'll leave it off.

[AndyS]

30. Yes, I'd like to see this.

I'll try to find it. I saw the wheel and it had a lot more than race, everything from weight to poverty. If it isn't CRT but being sold as CRT it needs to be called out as part of the lie.

[janterry]

35. Oh, yes. Much more than race

Here's a link:

&t=47s

This is closer to intersectionality - the teacher thought a good middle school topic.

I don't agree. She was teaching science, btw.

[AndyS]

37. Thanks!

[Claustrum]

26. this is a tough topic that shouldn't get anywhere near grade school children.

Like you said, the teacher might be with all good intentions but teaching racism and privilege is beyond the comprehension for those students. This theory is way beyond just teaching kids history and slavery is bad.

[jmbar2]

3. Obscure reference, but...

It's like the Japanese classic Rashomon, where the story is told from four completely different perspectives.

"Little Big Man" was another film that told the story of native American history from other perspectives.

There are probably some other more recent examples. I think people could understand that.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

31. Thought same thing... Ken Follett who spends years

Researching his historical fiction novels tells us it is how he develops his plot lines. For instance, the fall of the Berlin Wall was the event. He backs up and tells the story through the eyes of various people involved

Young and old, rich/powerful and the poor. Germans vs communists, etc etc.

[brooklynite]

4. "when you're explaining, you're losing"

[AndyS]

23. When you're not countering the lie you're losing too.

Any constructive ideas?

[AZProgressive]

41. So you agree with the right wing on this?

Link to tweet

[brooklynite]

43. I'm saying: dispose of CRT as the meaningless crap it is...

…don’t try to offer an academic treatise about what it REALLY means.

[blm]

5. Not CRT, though. Hamilton would be a legitimate viewpoint to study,

based on your analysis. Heck, Welcome Back Kotter could be referenced as another approach taken.

But, CRT is mostly about how that racism has been institutionalized in the everyday conduct of business.

[AndyS]

22. Not mine, Professor Coates.

He has only been teaching CRT for 30 years, but what does he know?

[blm]

25. I get that, but this excerpt went for the easier level

when the overall theory from Coates has been a useful approach to understand structural and systemic racism that is a part of everyday life.

I could be way off base, but, it is what I have gleaned from Coates’ past remarks.

Appreciate this thread very much, AndyS.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. In political terms it's a manufactured boogeyman designed to scare people

and manipulate them into voting a certain way. In terms of its impact on regular people's lives, it's a non-existant phantom.

I wouldn't go much further than that in explaining it to rubes who are suddenly worried about it, except to say that it's only taught in post graduate university studies and has nothing to do with children's school curricula.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. Doesn't matter - but thank you

Critical Race Theory - For black Democrats (myself included)

Those people never want you to vote again.


That's the only messaging I will be doing until my term on my county committee is up in June.


Over and over and over again - for those of us in black spaces: CRT is because those people never want you to vote again. They want to tax you without representation.

[blm]

8. ✔️

[jmbar2]

33. THIS!

Very good framing.

[Klaralven]

9. Mortgages typically last about 10 years

People move. People refi. Few stay in the same house for 30 years with the same mortgage.

Although, with rates at a historic low, that may be the case going forward.

[AndyS]

21. Exactly how does this relate to Red Lining and not being able to the a loan in the first place?

Yeah, I spent 15 years in real estate and know the stats you cite BUT every refi is done with EQUITY built on the previous loan.

No initial loan, no equity, no wealth built.

But let's not pay attention to the issue at hand, being beaten at the polls by a lie about CRT and how to counter it, lets chase some red herring over a bit of minutia.

Thanks for the contribution.

[GoodRaisin]

10. Republicans have characterized it as a liberal movement against white people.

Somehow our elevator speech needs to call that out as a lie. Easier said than done.

[AndyS]

28. There is a fine line between challenging and defending a point of view.

How to call it a lie and point out that someone is foolish enough to believe it and not insult them in a few words. Three if possible . . .

[GoodRaisin]

38. It's an especially fine line when the point of view you want to change is

like this:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017691320

He can’t explain the lie he believes. As stupid as this sounds, we lost the f’ing governor’s race in Virginia yesterday because enough morons like this guy swallowed the CRT nonsense.

[AndyS]

39. The question remains, what do we do about it?

We're losing this battle of lies vs truth. Critical Race Theory beats truth. Truth takes more than three words.

WE ARE LOSING elections and democracy.

How do Democrats counter this?

[GoodRaisin]

54. I think the problem is we don't say enough words.

They have a network, we don’t. Every one of their lies originate on Fox News and fan out to the universe from there. The Fox propaganda machine goes on for 24/7. I think we need our own 24/7 network to counteract Fox News lies with our own truths, blow for blow, and start getting the truth out.

I think they just have more mouthpieces than we do and that needs to change.

[Celerity]

11. for the Rethugs CRT is code for 'the commies are going to let the n-words take over and burn your

town down, whilst raping your wife and daughters'

It REALLY is that simple.

[EarlG]

13. In political terms, CRT is Defund The Police

It's also caravans to the border, MS-13, death panels, Taxed-Enough-Already, the assault on "traditional values," and the war on Christmas.

In other words, it's the most recent boogeyman in a long line of other scary boogeymen created specifically to wind up angry, frightened, largely uneducated people whose biggest concern is that "the other" is coming to wipe them out, thanks to a steady diet of propaganda fed to them by Fox News and Facebook. Next year it will be something else entirely, and it will come out of nowhere.

The metaverse is already here, and Republicans are living in it. They don't even need VR helmets.

[Deminpenn]

45. Yep, the latest dog whistle boogeyman

nt

[Devil Child]

17. An effective GOP weapon against Democratic election campaigns n/t

[LeftInTX]

20. Critical Race Theory is a K-12 program which teachs kids to be conservative patriotics

It includes the pledge of allegiance and the star spangled banner, every day. It includes lots of Laura Ingles Wilder narratives. It emphasizes the John Wayne version of the Alamo. It emphasizes that America has "Christian roots" and not secular roots. It bans holidays like Kwanzaa. Christmas is a religious holiday and any school that bans religious Christmas carols will be fined. It requires schools to have we "back the blue " programs. No discussion against police are allowed.

Republicans like Critical Race Theory.......

Fixed it for you....

[andym]

27. An obscure academic theory used by the GOP stand in for discussing any historical racial injustice

Last edited Wed Nov 3, 2021, 06:30 PM - Edit history (1)

They want to make discussion of historical racial inequities into a boogeyman to be spurned.

[Brainfodder]

32. College graduate continuing education study and NOT common youth education level fodder.

That it in a nutshell?



Nothing that has been taught to anyone under post college graduate level?

Meanwhile assholes use for political purposes because it sounds radical?

-mic drop-

[Tomconroy]

34. If CRT isn't being taught in public schools why not

just say that we too are opposed to CRT being taught in.public schools?

[NewJeffCT]

42. Because Democrats don't have the platform the GOP does

Republicans have: Fox News, OAN, RT, NewsMax on TV, not to mention RW pundits on every network.

Democrats have what - MSNBC, and a lesser number of Dem pundits on other networks (Democrats ALWAYS lag behind in number of appearances on those "talking head" shows) and likely nobody on OAN, RT or NewsMax.

On the radio, it's almost exclusively RW talk.

Most newspapers are controlled by RW media figures, save for a handful of larger ones like the Washington Post & NY Times, and the Times often bends over backwards to do the "both sides" shtick.

90% of the top political posters on Facebook are right wing extremists

[Steelrolled]

46. I'm with you 100%, but this kind of logic doesn't seem to work

in politics. I think people would be reluctant to say they are opposed to CRT being taught in public schools, because they would feel they are "giving in" or "losing".

[Tomconroy]

47. Maybe I'm wrong but I think it's what Bill Clinton would do.

[Steelrolled]

49. You might be right. I wish President Biden could come out with a clear statement

on this, but it is a tricky area that maybe he doesn't want to enter. And a clear statement might not do much good, but at least he, representing the Democratic Party, would be on record.

edit to add missing word.

[cadoman]

52. because two days ago you were a racist if you suggested that

A loss or two has made people rethink their red lines.

[spanone]

40. ...and why are Democrats responsible for it?

[gulliver]

48. If "it is not taught in K-12 and can't be," then Dems should outright oppose it being taught in K-12

Just say, "I'm opposed to teaching CRT in K-12." Give the exact reason the OP cites, that it is appropriate for post-grads, not K-12. Done. Now everyone is agreed that everyone is opposed to CRT in K-12 and we can get back to winning elections and advancing Democratic causes, including the issues addressed by CRT.

[cadoman]

50. maybe instead of trying to package such a complex set of ideas into a single campaign phrase..

...we should use the _results_ of CRT academic work to reform specific aspects of our local school criteria that are problematic or needing improvement, and address those directly in a campaign-friendly fashion?

Right now teachers are doing "build your own" CRT lessons, which generally involve singling out and knocking on the white kids in the classroom. So of course when Johnny comes home and his parents ask what he learned today and he says "that I'm a piece of shit racist and fascist fuck and so are you", that causes problems for us at the voting booth.

Let CRT stay in academia where minds are of a caliber that can handle it, and let politicians craft sensible and sell-able policy from that.

[AndyS]

51. See, that's the problem. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN!

It's being sold as what is going on BUT IT'S NOT.

Can you cite a real life situation where this is being taught in K-12?

[Mr.Bill]

53. I don't know what it is,

but I really, really like it.