Critical Race Theory

Critical Race Theory
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Critical Race Theory
A social movement asserting race as a socially constructed phenomenon appears to become fierce, creating divisions among Americans. Republicans have pushed legislation and policies to deter learning institutions from incepting critical race theory (CRT) teachings, and this effort has gained attention even in political campaigns. As a result, the approach is controversial amid society's struggle with humanitarian issues like immigration, civil unrest, and conflicts (Christian et al., 2019). Liberals and conservatives in the United States (US) are in heated debates and disagreements. They contest CRT as a way to understand how racism in the country has impacted public policies or whether it is a divisive discourse positioning individuals of color against white groups. Essentially, the debate on the topic exploded in the K-12 program, whereby various state legislatures have forwarded bills to prevent CRT use in classrooms. The paper argues that CRT helps dismantle power structures; it is perfect for confronting racism and does not need to be banned.
Defining the Issue and CRT Tenets
Before addressing and arguing the relevance of CRT, it is imperative to understand the concept's tenets, practices, and how it has attracted attention. Critical race theory (CRT) refers to studying policies and institutions. The idea is taught mainly in law schools, with its foundation dating back to the 1970s when professors such as Derrick bell started to explore how racism shaped American society (George, 2021). CRT model has rested on a fundamental premise that racial biases, whether intentional or not, are backed in the country's laws, policies, and organizations. based on observations, black communities were impacted by incarcerations at a much higher rate than their counterpart racial groups. Thus, CRT invited scrutiny on sectors like criminal justice, examining its role in how people of color are vastly affected. A commonly cited illustration issue is America's war on drugs, whereby, established in 1986, the anti-drug act unfolded harsher penalties for possession of drugs (Ray, 2019). In the process, black people became more likely to face convictions for possessing crack cocaine. Within a few years, the federal drug sentences for black communities had spurred to a higher percentage than cases involving white individuals (Kim et al., 2020). Therefore, CRT shines a light on how racism gets sustained through institutional laws, practices, or policies compared to individual biases.
In acknowledging the evolving nature of CRT, there are significant elements and tents of CRT to note. The model recognized that race as a prominent cultural subject Is not biologically accurate but socially relevant. Racism as a norm societal feature is embedded in systems that, in turn, replicate racial differentials and inequalities. With that, the idea of racist incidents as an aberration is dismissed but considered a manifestation of systemic racism. In education, CRT conveys a commitment to social justice, focusing on the experiential skills of minority groups. It integrates various interventions to study racism from a historical and modern perspective. For instance, contexts like theater, psychology, and other fields. Situations in the education sector, including resource allocation policies and programs, illuminate how racism is embedded. Derrick Bell noted in the case involving an education board that inferred that even the 14th amendment alone could not promote racial equality in the occasion that threatened the superior social status of wealthy white individuals (George, 2021). The professor noted that the way interests of black persons could adhere if they converged with those of the white groups.
Such a scenario highlighted that solving inequalities in education Is not a mere exercise of rectifying policy segregation. To attain the balance, as Bell inferred, did not preclude tackling other systemic dynamics responsible for penetrating inequalities in learning environments.
How and Why CRT Has Gained Attention
In the context of American consciousness, CRT gained a foothold after the killing of a black man by a white officer. The murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a societal reckoning on racial problems (Moody-Ramirez et al., 2021). People and different institutions began to grapple with how racism persisted and prevailed within American institutions and systems, despite the end of segregation policies in the civil rights era. Anti-bias training was instituted, especially in federal agencies, until the administration directed cease of such programs, citing the creation of divisions. Years later, since the executive order, parents, the media, and conservative politicians deployed the term CRT to denounce the discussion of racism in public schools. Many parents have stormed school meetings nationwide, complaining that CRT promotes anti-white and anti-American perspectives through racial sensitivity teachings. Allegedly, the curriculum has been cited bias and one that imbues impressionable learners. Consequently, more than eight republican led states in the US passed legislation barring how the racial concept can be taught.
CRT Should Remain
CRT acknowledges and helps to confront the presence of racism in society. Race-related problems have been part of the nation's everyday practices and taken as usual. The behavior and flawed acceptance result in a situation whereby individuals fuel discriminative practices even in decision-making. Racial biases are deeply ingrained that they get deemed natural while political systems become plagued with white supremacy (Sablan, 2019). Racism does not have to be a prejudicial action or an attitude but a mind state entrenched in...