What Critical Race Theory Is, What It Isn’t, And Why It Is Important, You Should Know: A Call to Action

Authors

  • Elaine Reed
  • Elba Figueroa
  • Mignon Carpenter

Keywords:

Critical Race Theory, education, racism, history, inequity

Abstract

Despite emerging from legal scholars in the 1970s, the term Critical Race Theory is currently at the forefront with increased attention focused on its framework and its use to explore and analyze racism in education. While this has led to school districts examining structural racism and making equitable changes, a subsequent backlash has also occurred. Critical Race Theory’s use and application have become part of a contentious debate and there is a misunderstanding about what the theory entails and misperceptions to how it is being used. Forty-one states have passed legislation banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory and concepts associated with it while others have created systems to report complaints of the framework’s use and penalize educators. The purpose of this call to action is to open lines of communication, create dialogue and break down the truth about Critical Race Theory.

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Published

2022-05-02