Critical Race Theory and the Race to Silence Teachers
“Critical Race Theory” is the latest boogeyman in an escalating legal gambit to smother honest teaching about race. Despite being unable to define CRT, lawmakers are racing to muzzle teachers as the new school year begins. As this map from Education Weeks shows, multiple states have passed (or are considering) laws that ban the teaching of anything remotely related to CRT. While some policies (like Tennessee’s new law) specifically prohibit and punish discussions about race or sexism, other legislation is intentionally vague, cast a wide and punitive net over anyone who makes students feel “discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”
This not-so-coded language is a blatant effort to insulate White students, a motivation based on false portrayals of CRT as guilt-inducing brainwashing. As I describe in other blog posts, credible and effective teaching about race does not ask White students to feel guilty; it asks them--and all students--to confront the legacy of racism, which includes understanding how our identities affect our experiences.
The irony of the “discomfort” argument is apparently lost on the anti-CRT crowd. Schools already impose discomfort, distress, and trauma on students of color in business-as-usual discrimination, ranging from disproportionate discipline to unequal access to advanced courses. These inequities make the other anti-CRT argument--that it’s divisive--even more laughable. The school system overall already divides and segregates students based on race.
Of course, silence is also a form of instruction called “tacit approval.” Every time we don’t teach about racism, we’re teaching about racism—specifically, that it’s okay to ignore it. And while we must be fair by presenting multiple perspectives, “neutral teaching” isn’t a thing.
You can bet my students at the University of Michigan are both pretty fired up and nervous that the anti-CRT onslaught will threaten their justice-focused practice. That’s why we spent time in our summer Education Reform class to examine the issue more closely. My students’ analysis here uncovers the actual definition of CRT, the false portrayals designed to gin up anger, the motivations behind this, coded language and more.
Here are additional resources on the legislation and penalties: