By. Charlotte Roberts

I’m sure you’ve all heard the term “critical race theory” a few times in the news lately. With huge debates over whether this theory should be taught in schools, there have been a few court rulings issued. Tennessee, Idaho, and Oklahoma have all banned the teaching of this subject matter in school. Several other states are currently considering the ban as well.

So, what exactly is critical race theory and why does it seem to be so controversial? In CNN article, UCLA law professor and founding critical race theorist, Kimberlé Crenshaw, defined critical race theory as “…a practice. It’s an approach to grappling with a history of White supremacy that rejects the belief that what’s in the past is in the past, and that the laws and systems that grow from the past are detached from it.” This theory was initially developed to examine how inequality is promoted through law and systematically oppressive institutions.

There is abounding evidence that systemic racism exists in America. Just look at the racial determinants of health that were recently uncovered by the coronavirus pandemic. From the high rates of violence Black people experience at the hands of police, to the high childbirth death rates Black women experience in the healthcare system, to the harsh legal penalties Black people face in comparison to White people for the same crimes, why is the study of critical race theory coming under such scrutiny?

Many states that have banned teaching critical race theory in schools have called the theory “inherently racist.” Proponents of the theory have argued that does not paint any one group of people as superior or racist, but it does aim to elucidate how race is integrated into historical practices that have been harmful to certain groups of people. It has also been noted that because critical race theory is based upon legal practices, this is not taught in preparatory school, so why the need for the ban?

Censorship of the truth is detrimental to everyone. The more states that ban this, the further our progress will be held back. We cannot finally put an end to the inequitable practices we all know were employed in the past if we refuse to acknowledge that they are still active in the present. Historical erasure is happening right before our eyes, we must take it upon ourselves to be knowledgeable of our history because we may not learn it any other way.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Posted by:Charlotte Roberts