Critical Race Theory

What is Critical Race Theory?

The Republican Party has recently made "Critical Race Theory" a new bogeyman to be opposed, along with anti-LGBTQ and book censorship. The ban on critical race theory has included banned books, censorship in classrooms, and even censorship of local media outlets. Yet "Critical Race Theory" opposition is simply another euphemism for racism, white Christian Nationalism, and sexism.

Race Theory AKA Racism & Sexism

Lets start by taking the term apart. Critical Race Theory is critical of "Race Theory", but what is "Race Theory"? Simply put, Race Theory is the idea that White Anglo-Saxon/Aryan Protestant Males are inherently superior to all other races and women, and should naturally be put in places of power over other race, national origins, and women.  Put simply, Race Theory is a blanket term for racism, sexism, and white supremacy.  Proponents of Race Theory include the KKK, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Tea Party, MAGA, and Q-Anon followers.

Arguments for Racism

The primary arguments for "Race Theory" is that Non-Whites are poorly educated, a greater percentage of the population are incarcerated and therefore non-whites are supposed to be relegated to menial manual labor jobs with minimal interaction with white males. White males on the other hand should automatically rise to leadership positions and higher paying positions because they are better educated.

Race Theory also includes subjugation of religious minorities and superiority of white Christians, especially right wing fundamentalist Christians including Southern Baptists, Assembly of God, and other megachurch denominations. Even Catholics are considered inferior, especially those whose national origins were south of the Texas border, Italian, Spanish, or Eastern European. Jews and Muslims are "the enemy" and should be deposed from their positions in the banking and media industry.

Other tenets of Race Theory suggest that only a small number of whites owned slaves, that slaves were humanely treated, and that the Confederacy was formed to protect "States Rights" rather than to protect and promote the expansion of slavery to western states.

Rebuttal to Arguments for Racism

The basis of "Critical Race Theory", which is a college level course, is a cross-examination of the claims made by racists. For example, minority children grow up in poor neighborhoods with underfunded schools and inexperienced teachers and therefore don't get the motivation to excel academically, yet minority students who attend integrated schools or white-majority schools perform exceptionally well, with a higher percentage becoming honor students, and many of them becoming officers in the military, getting college scholarships, and becoming doctors, lawyers, engineers, computer professionals, and sales professionals.

Critical Race Theory, as defined by racist groups, includes African-American history, including the history of slavery, Jim Crow, De Facto Segregation. Also, the accomplishments of prominent minority figures such as George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and other minority leaders, scientists, engineers, and political figures over the last two centuries. Teaching these topics as part of the general curriculum helps motivate minorities, and helps white students see minority students as equals with interests as diverse as their own. It encourages whites and minorities to group themselves based on common interests rather than by race. 

Critical Race Theory points out that while it is true that only plantation owners owned substantial numbers of slaves, they were managed by white overseers, known by blacks as "Crackers" who used the whip to intimidate field slaves. Plantation owners also rented out their slaves to help during plowing, planting, and harvest seasons, so long as those renting needed the slaves after the plantation had met it's own needs.

As for slaves being better off under slavery, this barely applies to house slaves who served in the household, but were routinely raped and feared the threat of being demoted to field slaves. Field slaves were the most severely abused, yet whippings and other punishments were designed to punish slaves without leaving them permanently disabled, because the slave's value was his ability to work.

Arguments for Integration

The incorporation of "Critical Race Theory", the inclusion of African-American History and Muslim World History (rather than just the English Dark Ages), in integrated schools helps to encourage mutual compassion and understanding between the students. The goal of such teachings is not to make white kids feel guilty, but rather to keep them from feeling inherently superior based solely on race. This creates the openings for friendships based on equality and shared interests. More importantly, it encourages minority kids to explore new and different interests. Minority students interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can be cultivated starting in middle school, and can lead to good jobs when they graduate from college.