"CRT will reverse Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of being 'judged by the content of their character' rather than their skin color ..." - Ty Smith
If you're still trying to figure out what Critical Race Theory is all about, here's a video that's going viral after an Illinois school board meeting. According to Daily Caller, an Illinois father and weekend radio show host, Ty Smith, had a lot to say about CRT being taught in the schools, and you may be a bit surprised by what he says:
Watch this parent absolutely obliterate Critical Race Theory at an Illinois school board meeting:
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 17, 2021
“How do I have two medical degrees if I’m sitting here oppressed?” pic.twitter.com/gmCRJaphXt
Critical race theory (or CRT) may well be on its way as the "buzz" word for 2021. School boards, politicians, states, special interest groups, and parents have been extremely vocal and of course, there's been extensive division as it takes center stage under President Joe Biden's administration, which supports CRT being adopted into the school curriculum.
So What is the History of CRT?
According to American Bar Association, "in September 2020, President Trump issued an executive order excluding from federal contracts any diversity and inclusion training interpreted as containing 'Divisive Concepts,' 'Race or Sex Stereotyping,' and 'Race or Sex Scapegoating.' Among the content considered 'divisive' is Critical Race Theory (CRT). His order did not go unanswered. Kimberlé Crenshaw (legal scholar) led the African American Policy Forum, as well as the #TruthBeTold campaign indicating over 300 diversity and inclusion training, which have been canceled because of the executive order. Along with over 120 civil rights organizations signing a letter condemning the executive order, as well as "The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the National Urban League (NUL), and the National Fair Housing Alliance filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the executive order violates the guarantees of free speech equal protection, and due process."
So What Is Critical Race Theory?
That may be a harder question to answer than expected because, in this day and age, a definition can vary depending on which website or source of reference you're accessing.
Wikipedia defines Critical race theory:
Critical race theory (CRT) is an academic movement of civil-rights scholars and activists in the United States who seek to critically examine the law as it intersects with issues of race and to challenge mainstream liberal approaches to racial justice.[1] CRT examines social, cultural and legal issues as they relate to race and racism.[2][3]
CRT is loosely unified by two common themes:
- First, that white supremacy (societal racism) exists and maintains power through the law.[6]
- Second, that transforming the relationship between law and racial power, and also achieving racial emancipation and anti-subordination more broadly, are possible.[7]
So What Are the Arguments?
According to New York Post, supporters of critical race theory say racism is ingrained in the country’s history and its remnants remain today in regulations and laws that discriminate against minorities.
Teaching the theory challenges racism and encourages people to improve “equity” between the races, they contend.
According to Convention of States, it's not the language that is harmful, but the philosophical foundation of CRT. It is based on the idea that America was built on racism, the historical 1619 Project, and the government is leveraging taxpayer money as incentives in the prioritization of federal grants to schools that adopt CRT into their curriculum.
Currently, 21 states have banned teaching CRT in schools.
The debate on whether or not teaching Critical Race Theory in schools is loaded, hot, and involved. But Ty Smith says it pretty clear and simple, at least from his perspective:
“When you talk about critical race theory which is pretty much going to be teaching kids how to hate each other, how to dislike each other. It’s pretty much what it’s all gonna come down to. You’re going to deliberately teach kids ‘this white kid right here got it better than you because he’s white’ and you’re gonna tell a white kid ‘the black people are all down and suppressed,'” Smith said. “How do I have two medical degrees if I’m sitting here oppressed?”
Share your thoughts on CRT in the comments.