Critical Race Theory, Critical to our Future
Critical race theory (CRT), teaches that racism and racial inequality are constants that exist outside the prejudices of individuals in American society. It argues that structures and institutions are primarily responsible for the preservation of racial inequality. CRT originated in US law schools, bringing together issues of power, race, and racism to address the notion of color blindness, the notion of color blindness ignores racial differences and perpetuates the deeply institutionalized injustices of the status quo. Two central tenets of critical race theory are the intractability of racism and the dismantling of the premise that individual prejudice exists as the primary mechanism facilitating inequality. They argue racism is woven into the fabric of American life and its institutions in ways that ensure White people dominate the racial hierarchy.
Since its inception more than three decades ago, CRT has led to a slow revolution in how racism and racial inequality are conceptualized. The frames of structural racism that were pioneered and formalized in writings by critical race theorists have been adapted and adopted by a wide variety of social scientists and have arguably been woven into the fabric of mainstream sociology. Even those sociologists who may not readily identify as critical race theorists, generally acknowledge that racial inequality is the result of more than the collective pathology of individuals, and that there is a “structure” in place comprised of institutions, policies, and norms that reproduces and maintains inequality.
The devaluing of black bodies has long existed as an American tradition, but this tradition has been largely overlooked due to white supremacist bias in the media. Americans are overwhelmingly subjected to hegemonic educations in which the histories of people of color in this country are minimized to footnotes within textbooks. These passing acknowledgements generally steer well clear of the social justice-oriented and consciousness-raising history that addresses the violence, death, and mass incarceration that created the foundation for modern American life.
Training in CRT includes a range of methods such as storytelling, family histories, biographies, testimonials¸ and counter story. It is crucial to use theories and methodologies that seek to dismiss racism and those whose lives are directly affected by it. Recent civil unrest and protests demonstrate the effectiveness of the application of critical race theory in training as municipalities around the country are designating more resources in historically neglected communities.
In an attempt to dampen the enthusiasm and momentum for those attempting to end institutional racism, the federal government has deemed training involving critical race theory “counter to the fundamental beliefs for which our Nation has stood since its inception, but they also engender division and resentment within the Federal workforce.” This is a subtle ploy that seeks to erase essential historical facts that have shaped America as a country. If the current administration is elected to a second term, look for many Fortune 500 companies to follow suit and alter their own in-house diversity training.
Pick up the Observer next week for the first installment of a three part series on Policing of Blacks in San Antonio!
