Fact Check: Examining Critical Race Theory in Schools and the Misconceptions Surrounding It
False
Critical Race Theory (CRT) has surged as a significant political concern across local, state, and national arenas, giving rise to parent groups expressing opposition to perceived CRT teachings in schools. Politicians are now leveraging CRT as a political instrument to allege that public schools impart anti-American values and promote racism among children.
Despite no evidence of CRT being taught in schools, laws have been passed in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina, Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, and North Dakota restricting the teaching of race and racism at large in K-12 schools and universities. A substantive number of states plan to introduce such laws in upcoming legislative sessions, and school boards have begun issuing restrictions at the local level.
Movements for public school curriculum to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have gained popularity, but critics of such proposals often conflate DEI with Critical Race Theory. The two are related but separate concepts that vary significantly in a practical application within school settings.
Derrick Bell, the first tenured African-American professor at Harvard Law School, helped pioneer the field of Critical Race Theory, “a body of legal scholarship that explores how racism is embedded in laws and legal institutions.” CRT posits that racism not only manifests in society through individual actions but is a product of how systems have been designed. In practice, these systems benefit or harm certain groups of people based on their race. In other words, racism is not just a few bad actors or discriminatory comments but is embedded in the laws that govern our society.
As an area of academic and legal study, generally taught in upper-level university courses, CRT is built upon ideas from the fields of sociology, history, law, and others to critically evaluate how certain societal structures disenfranchise people of color. There is minimal training given, if any, to primary and secondary school teachers about CRT, much less being part of the standardized curriculum.
The goal of CRT is not to make people feel guilty for being white but rather to question how our society benefits certain racial groups over others. The lived experiences of people of color are often difficult to explain when the systems that created the conditions in which they live are not examined. Critical Race Theory seeks to study these structures in order to advance society towards a more equitable and just future.
CRT has galvanized parent groups across the nation and became a flashpoint in conservative politics, as exemplified by the recent Virginia elections. There is no basis that Critical Race Theory is being taught in schools, and local education officials have pointed out that their school systems do not teach it because discussions around the topic would not make sense in the context of K-12 education.
The claims that Critical Race Theory is being taught extensively in public schools to indoctrinate students are FALSE.
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References and Further Reading
Sharon Kimathi. Thomas Reuters Foundation News. FACTBOX: U.S. states outlawing education on critical race theory, October 1, 2021.
Rashawn Ray and Alexandra Gibbons. Brookings. Why are states banning critical race theory?, November 2021.
Mira Sydow. Teen Vogue. Georgia School Board Fights Over Race, Diversity Face Pushback From Students, November 17, 2021.
Angela Sailor. Heritage. Schools Hiding Behind Diversity and Inclusion Rhetoric to Spew Critical Race Theory Vile, July 7, 2021.
Harvard Law Today. Derrick Bell (1930-2011), October 6, 2011.
Columbia News. What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?, July 1, 2021.
Janel George. American Bar Association. A Lesson on Critical Race Theory, January 11, 2021.
Thomas Beaumont, Aaron Morrison, and Will Weissert. AP News. After Virginia, GOP amplifies debate over race and education, November 5, 2021.
Bryan Anderson. PBS News Hour. Critical race theory is a flashpoint for conservatives, but what does it mean?, November 2, 2021.
