RACISM IS SYSTEMIC
They Banned Critical Race Theory Because They Can't Handle The Truth
Critical race theory effectively explains the disparate conditions of Black Americans
White Americans clutched their pearls so tight that the chain, the tie between historical fact and fiction, has broken, and critical race theory has been cast as a public threat. At least forty-four states, since 2021, introduced legislation or "taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism, according to an Education Week analysis." Critical race theory proposes that racism is embedded in our country's laws and legal systems. It suggests the systemic racism we see in our society today is a consequence of unatoned history. Despite parents and politicians howling at the moon, urging school districts to remove black historical narratives from the classroom, they haven't shown a lick of evidence disproving critical race theory.
Imagine the white fragility and privilege necessary to ban a theory you disagree with. They might as well have banned critical thinking because these censorship laws are ridiculous, targeting scholars for teaching simple historical facts. White people are quite literally trying to bury black history in the backyard next to the rose garden, and they're hoping we wouldn't notice that the public wouldn't oppose these efforts. However, what we're seeing is that Black parents are speaking out about these bans. The problem is that not many leaders are interested in listening to Black parents. As Kali Holloway asked in The Nation, "Black parents overwhelmingly support teaching about race and racism in school. Why aren't we hearing from them?" In a poll of New York parents, 80% of parents of color supported their students learning about the "damages of white supremacy." Nearly the same amount wanted their students to learn about the Black Lives Matter movement, race, and racism. Still, it seems that, for the most part, the national conversation has centered on the comfort or discomfort of White parents.
The fact that Black and other nonwhite parents — that is to say, those parents whose kids make up the majority in America’s public school classrooms — believe that the perspective provided by CRT would enrich their children’s education seems newsworthy at a moment in which the battle over school lesson plans is raging. And yet, since a false characterization of CRT became fodder for conservative hysteria just over a year ago, there’s been almost no media coverage examining Black parents’ feelings about CRT in schools. — Kali Holloway in The Nation
On the scientific level, challenging a theory requires developing a counter or alternative theory for the observed phenomena. Is there another explanation, for example, that would explain why Black Americans continue to face disparate conditions other than racism? They would need to develop various experimental methods using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. More than one study would be needed to prove a theory, but you get the point. You don't challenge a theory by yelling to the heavens, "That's not true. I don't like it." To engage in scientific inquiry, you need to put your theory to the test. So, while it's true that many state-level laws have been passed in recent years to tarnish the reputation of critical race theory, we must recognize the context that those opposing the theory have not effectively challenged it, let alone disproved it.
Racism is more than hatred; it is an exploitation of disparate power between two racial groups. This is why White Americans can squash critical race theory without doing the intellectual work of providing another reasonable explanation. Why engage in scientific inquiry when they have the power to silence critical race theory and bury the evidence? Of course, conservatives have perpetuated numerous tropes or stereotypes attempting to justify their second-class citizenship, that Black Americans are "lazy," "violent," or "inherently deviant, or criminal," all of which have been disproven time and time again. So, we're left to the regrettable conclusion that White people oppose critical race theory so fervently, not because they disbelieve the theory or because of their ignorance, as I once believed, but because the theory so accurately explains the current sociopolitical conditions Black Americans endure.
They want to silence the conversation about race and racism and accuse any black history factoid of being critical race theory in public schools. It's time to turn the tables to ask those banning this theory why they haven't conducted any scientific studies to disprove the theory and why they think they have the right to overrun the national debate about what students should learn by brute force and not scientific rigor. If you say learning about racism harms White students, you have the responsibility to prove it. If you claim that critical race theory indoctrinates students, you have a responsibility to prove it. The truth is, these claims fall flat, which is why you won't find any theory that effectively counters critical race theory. Shouldn't we want students to develop their essential skills of thinking to analyze any social structure or environmental factor that impacts their lived experiences? Shouldn't we want to empower students?
Despite the abundance of evidence proving that racism impacts every facet of Black Americans' lives, from the womb to the tomb, many conservatives claim critical race theory is nothing more than propaganda. The problem is they haven't done the work to support such a claim. Indeed, claiming that critical race theory is dangerous is the real threat, the real propaganda we should be cautious of internalizing. White conservatives have used brute political force on the state level to racially segregate the curriculum to forcibly remove stories that shine a light on Black Americans' experiences in this country, as well as other racial, ethnic, and gendered minorities. This campaign is systematic, deliberate, and further evidence that supports critical race theory. In their denials, they have provided an easily digestible example. By brute force, they removed black historical narratives from the classroom, not because they disbelieve critical race theory but because they know it's true that racism is inundated in our country's laws and legal systems. They're committed to hiding that from future generations. And the racist motivation behind these laws stands as evidence, further proving the legitimacy of critical race theory.
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