Teaching About Racism

In 2020, critical race theory (CRT) became a political wedge issue, as conservative legislators, educators and parents sought to ban CRT from K-12 schools, even as many K-12 educators denied that it was being taught. Critics also took aim at diversity training programs in workplaces and universities. A legal framework pioneered in the 1970s, critical race theory maintains that racism is commonplace and systemic within legal and social structures, and it centers the history and lived experiences of marginalized people. Measures to ban CRT or its underlying concepts from classrooms have been proposed in nearly 30 states and enacted in at least eight. In the corporate sector, some employees are pushing back on diversity training that asks workers to reflect on racial bias and privilege, with some filing lawsuits. Despite widespread debate, there is little consensus among either opponents or proponents about what constitutes critical race theory within curricula and workplace trainings. Still, the controversy continues to rage in legislative assemblies, school board meetings and on social media.