Critical Race Theory is NOT Curriculum
Critical Race Theory is not a curriculum. Let’s just start there. There has been a lot of hubbub around the country about whether or not we should allow critical race theory to be taught in our K-12 schools. But, this entire question is problematic. First, because critical race theory is not a curriculum. It is not curriculum the way “critical thinking” is not curriculum. However, I can’t imagine anyone saying we should not teach critical thinking in our schools.
Critical thinking requires us to see a situation or person as complex. It asks us to acknowledge that there are multiple concurrent realities. For instance, European settlers, who were escaping oppression in their own homelands, saw the Native people as savages because they were looking at them through a lens, limited by their unfamiliarity with the Native people’s way of life. The Native people saw the Europeans as invaders because they already lived in this land for thousands of years. If we only look at history only through the lens of the Europeans, it is dehumanizing to the Native people, which explains the common thread of negative portrayals of Native people. Critical thinking asks us to consider these and other perspectives to get a full picture of our history. This is not, as some may suggest, an effort to make people of European descent feel guilty. Rather, educators want their students to think for themselves and develop informed opinions, but can’t expect that if students are not exposed to multiple perspectives and the whole truth. Educators use critical thinking to analyze literature and art, to solve math problems, and to make scientific discoveries. Everyone agrees that critical thinking is good.
Now, how does critical race theory fit in? Well, it is asking us to use critical thinking and see the world through the lens of race. An example might be considering the impact of the great migration on demographics, housing and jobs in places like New Jersey and New York and Philadelphia. How and why did redlining occur? Why was it that people of color could not get a mortgage between the 1930s and 1960s? What is the current day impact of those practices?
This critical theory approach is already being utilized in our education system. There are also critical disability studies (through the lens of people with disabilities), DesiCrit (through the lens of South Asians), Tribal crit (through the lens of Native people), LatCrit, QueerCrit, DeafCrit… If this feels overly academic, like you are in the intellectual weeds — you are! All of these ideas are and are not taught in schools already.
In the sense that teachers are already tasked with supporting children’s ability to think critically, all of this is present in today’s classrooms. Great teachers are already asking their students to see the world through the eyes of others, imagine a walk in someone else’s shoes — this is not new and it is good teaching practice. However, these specific critical theories are primarily reserved for graduate studies. Many of them may inform curricula, but none of them are curricula. Moreover, I would argue that using these lenses to inform curricula is good for all children. It supports their ability to learn how to interact with the world, how to collaborate across cultures and belief systems, and to make informed decisions. Who’s not down with that?