States move to ban Critical Race Theory in schools


Idaho and Oklahoma passed laws this month banning instructing students on racist concepts that have become known as “Critical Race Theory” in schools that receive public funding.

Critical Race Theory was developed by academics and leading scholars in the 1960s and was organized officially in the late 1980s. The theory is that racism is embedded both in U.S. history and modern American law. It holds that legal institutions in the U.S. are inherently racist.

Some of its teachings are overtly racist by definition. It teaches children notions such as blacks and other minorities hold a position of inferiority, while whites– based solely on the color of their skin– are privileged oppressors incapable of doing anything outside of their own self-interest.

Supporters of Critical Race Theory say all whites and American society are inherently racist, and have systematically oppressed minorities in nearly every walk of life, robbing them of normal opportunities.

Most of the proposed or passed state legislation do not mention Critical Race Theory by name but ban racist teachings that:

  • One race or sex is superior;
  • Any individuals are “inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive” because of their race or sex;
  • A person should receive adverse treatment due to their race or sex;
  • Their moral character is determined by race or sex;
  • A person bears responsibility for past actions by other members of their race or sex;
  • A person should feel discomfort or other psychological distress because of their race or sex;
  • A meritocracy is racist or sexist or designed to oppress members of another race or sex;
  • The United States is fundamentally racist or sexist;
  • Promoting the violent overthrow of the U.S. government;
  • Promoting division or resentment between race, sex, religion, creed nonviolent political affiliation or class; 
  • Ascribing character traits, values, moral codes, privileges or beliefs to a race;
  • The rule of law does not exist, but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups;
  • Americans are not created equal and are not endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; or
  • Governments should deny to any person within the government’s jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.

The Tennessee legislature recently approved its version of the ban on teaching Critical Race Theory in public education. The Governor is expected to sign that bill into law soon.

Critics of the Critical Race Theory laws say they are a form of revisionist history and ignore our country’s past. Some see the laws as an infringement on their free speech.

Texas and other Republican-led states are expected to follow suit with their versions of bills that ban the teaching of critical race theory or doctrine in public education.

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13 thoughts on “States move to ban Critical Race Theory in schools”

  1. We need to get CRT out of all schools. It is a theory, our students need to learn facts to form their own opinions or theories.

    1. I don’t know how they even get away with calling it a “theory.” I think of theory as being something that can be scientifically tested and eventually either proven or disproven. Using that definition of the word “theory,” CRT does not qualify to be called that. It would be more properly called “Critical Race Dogma.”

    1. William the Deplorable

      Search ‘critical race theory children’s books’ – you’ll find hundreds of books that have become assigned reading in junior and senior high schools. Search ‘critical race theory instructional’ and you’ll find hundreds of tomes written for teachers to guide their indoctrination’s off those students. Visit any junior and senior high school and inquire about their CRT curriculum and they’ll proudly tell you about how they’re mangling this generation of young minds.

    2. The 1619 Project, sponsored and promoted by the New York Times, is a key component of critical race theory thinking and instruction.

  2. Thomas Sandberg

    I’m no expert on CRT, but this from the article:
    whites– based solely on the color of their skin– are privileged oppressors incapable of doing anything outside of their own self-interest
    seems inconsistent with this from Wikipedia:
    Critical race theory is loosely unified by two common themes: first, that white supremacy (societal racism) exists and maintains power through the law;[6] and second, that transforming the relationship between law and racial power, and also achieving racial emancipation and anti-subordination more broadly, are possible.[7]

    1. Wikipedia’s version is incredibly watered down. CRT states that all people have hidden biases. It states that white people are the oppressors and people of color are the oppressed. Due to their subconscious bias, white people don’t know they are racist. If they deny bring racist this proves them to be even more racist. It also stipulates that society is geared toward white people and it is next to impossible for people to succeed. It is not enough to have equally opportunity. You must have equality of outcomes.

  3. I grew up in a city in Los Angeles metro that was evenly divided between white, Mexican, and Asian. This was end of 1950s to end of 1970s. We never had any issues of race. It was middle class. This whole CRT is designed to break up the USA, especially by specific groups that make money or get power from this. CRT hurts the country and does nothing good for a community, county, or state.

  4. The problem with all Marxist social theory is the same: class/race/religious differences create classes that cannot help but be in conflict with one another, that among them there will always be oppressors and oppressed, and that this is a situation that will never end – that it cannot ever end. It’s a terminal hopelessness that can only result in creating new aggrieved classes, but cannot ever alleviate the grievances of the supposed oppressed groups.
    Moreover, Marxist theory holds that you cannot deem yourself to be not of the group to which their leadership assigns you. Individualism is rejected. As Ayanna Presley said last year, she didn’t want any Black people who didn’t have Black voices (those who thought for themselves).
    Finally, the very notion of capitalizing these groups – how we saw that in less than a year black became Black – this is no accident. It is the imputation of a forced membership in racial identity that the capitalization is intended to accomplish. In this, they agree with the KKK and the Nazis, who capitalized White and Aryan, respectively. They also would refer to the Negro or the Jew, and held that those identities were immutable and indelibly defined the individual so categorized. Thus the Jews could not convert their way out of the death camps, and negroes could not educate themselves out of Jim Crow.
    Isn’t it ironic that the modern Progressive movement holds that you can change your gender but cannot change your race – a characteristic for which very little can be found in science to confirm as real in the first place?

    1. Sorry, Steven but your conception of “Marxism” is distorted. If anything, Critical Race Theory is a doctrine promoted by neoliberal capitalism. It substitutes universalist goals for everyone with racialized ones. Instead of discussing poverty as a function of social class, CRT and neoliberalism substitute race.

      Kurt Hill
      Brooklyn, NY

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