Critical Race Theory:

A Lens to Understand Our Context

Leah Z. Owens & Brandie E. Waid

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IN THE CHAT

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What grade/content area do you teach?

What’s a phrase or sentence to define critical race theory?

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Brandie: HS/MS Math - study of racism in institutional and sociopolitical contexts.

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Leah: HS English - illuminates the many ways institutional racism works

Photo by Paola Aguilar on Unsplash

Community Norms

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THIS IS A BRAVE

(RATHER THAN SAFE) SPACE.

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Brave spaces consist of 5 key elements: ◊ “Controversy with civility,” where varying opinions are accepted ◊ “Owning intentions & impacts,” in which we acknowledge & discuss instances where a dialogue has affected the emotional well-being of another person ◊ “Challenge by choice,” where we have an option to step in & out of challenging conversations ◊ “Respect,” where we show respect for one another’s basic personhood ◊ “No attacks,” where members agree not to intentionally inflict harm.

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RESPECT EVERYONE’S PRIVACY.

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Being part of this group requires mutual trust. Authentic, expressive discussions make groups great, but may also be sensitive and private. What you learn here (content) should leave here, but what is shared here (personal experiences) should stay here.

GIVE AS MUCH AS YOU TAKE.

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Share your insights as much as you take others’ insights. We believe that every member of our community is a valuable source of knowledge with something to contribute. We value those contributions.

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LEAN IN TO THE DISCOMFORT.

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If you never feel discomfort doing this work, then you aren't truly engaging in radical pedagogy. We will all feel discomfort at one point or another. Lean in to that discomfort.

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ENGAGE CRITICALLY, BUT RESPECTFULLY, WITH CONTENT.

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Ask questions that will deepen your experience and engage critically with the content presented. Also know that we are all at different spots in this journey. Be patient with yourself and with others, and listen with understanding, respect, and kindness.

Core Tenets of CRT

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Breakout Rooms: Thinking About Your Context

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• Designate one note-taker and one reporter to share when we come back together.
• Use at least one of the CRT tenets to deconstruct an experience you’ve had in your district.
• Share the story as it happened.
• In a group discussion, analyze and interpret the story using a CRT lens.

GOAL: Discuss at least two stories.

“Scholars who study critical race theory in education look at how policies and practices in K-12 education contribute to persistent racial inequalities in education, and advocate for ways to change them.”

-Source: Edweek

Breakout Room Example

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Leah’s Story

• A report conducted by the Newark Board of Education revealed racial disparities in class size and composition among the district’s comprehensive and magnet schools

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s): Whiteness as Property & Interest Convergence

• Through (admissions) policy and practice, Science Park is preserved as the magnet school for White students, and few to no parents from the East Ward (where the majority of the White population resides) protest class sizes or the universal enrollment system.

Breakout Room 1

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Ali’s Story

• Pushback on art curriculum on identity and other DEIB themes at mostly-white independent school and was told to stop; left this job because she was told she wasn’t wanted there anymore

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Whiteness as Property; Interest Convergence

Joanna’s Story

• Works for civics organization; pushes against the idea teaching civics is neutral; meeting students where they are is not neutral and justifiably

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Counternarratives
• Critique of liberalism and intersectionality

Heather’s Story

• Issue with a white teacher using the n-word while reading a text in class; Black student spoke out and asked her to stop and she didn’t ;student left the class; Black parents rallied; Heather was asked to speak with principal about it and he said “These things don’t normally happen here!”

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Permanence of Racism

Breakout Room 2

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______ ‘s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Jeff’s Story

• I teach at a French school in Dakar, Senegal and witness regularly white French teachers totally misunderstanding the local black, Muslim culture. The rules put in place completely disregard local culture.

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Whiteness as property, intersectionality

Liliana’s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Breakout Room 3

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Lauren’s Story

• Independent school in Seattle - Committed to diversity in staff and students, but…
• Media images provide a false image that there are more people of color attending

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Whiteness as property
• Permanence of racism

Samantha’s Story

• Works in D.C.
• Children are tokenized in marketing for the preschool
• Families expect to see a more diverse population and pull out of admissions process when this is not the case

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Whiteness as property
• Permanence of racism

Jeff’s Story

• Teaches in West Africa
• Teachers are authority driven
• DIsmiss Muslim population

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Permanence of racism

Breakout Room 4

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_____’s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Breakout Room 5

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_____’s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Breakout Room 6

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Ben’s Story

• Pandemic - teaching SpEd in 4th & 5th grades at Bilingual Immersion School; (specifically minority, but more representation on PTA) white parents wanted to stop teaching Spanish while online.
• Admin did NOT do so – violated core values, but did cause a lot of tension.

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Interest Convergence
• Permanence of Racism
• White Supremacy/Privilege & Whiteness as Property

Breakout Room 7

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Wendy’s Story

• At school, the only time that Black history is represented in curriculum is during Black History Month. She ordered BLM pins and flags.
• She was told that the BLM flags needed to be taken down.due to phone calls from parents. She was told that it was a political platform and she was an educator and couldn’t have a political position at school. She argued that it was a social justice platform and worked with the Black student leaders (a newly formed group) and they created their own homemade poster on BLM and posted it were the flag had been.

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Christopher’s Story

• When creating affinity groups in his school system, all other identities were given affinity spaces except for Black people. Blackness was not allowed to be addressed in the curriculum.
• The black experience as an elective in curriculum and not fully integrated throughout the main curriculum.

CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

• Whiteness as property - perspectives of whiteness, not just white people

_____’s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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Breakout Room 8

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_____’s Story

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_____’s Story

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Breakout Room 9

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_____’s Story

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Breakout Room 10

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_____’s Story

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CRT Analysis - Tenet(s):

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_____’s Story

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What is Going On?

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Essential conversations about race in America are being hijacked by attacks initially designed and launched by Christopher Rufo, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. The attacks by Rufo and other critics, pundits, and politicians who have joined the effort are shutting down racial equity work and conversations in institutions across the country—primarily schools, universities, and government.

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When President Biden rescinded the Trump’s executive order banning racial equity training and replaced it with one to advance racial equity, right-wing conservatives introduced upwards of 20 state legislative bills. Some passed, making strides to ban racial equity work in government and education on race in schools, and others are still in motion. The attacks are designed to force schools and government agencies to halt trainings and initiatives designed

to advance racial equity.

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Source: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/bannedwords/guide-counter-narrating-attacks-critical-race-theory

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These attacks on critical race theory are a part of a broad, coordinated effort to thwart a multiracial democracy in the lead-up to the 2022 midterm elections.

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It is important to remember that these attacks employ a caricature of critical race theory to distract us from enacting a racially equitable agenda, one that would provide benefits to the vast majority of people in this country, including white people.

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We must keep the focus on the destructive purpose of these attacks and the fact that teaching truth and having honest and courageous conversations about race – how it shows up in our past and informs our present – is the key to building the promise of a just, multiracial, democratic society.

Source: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/bannedwords/guide-counter-narrating-attacks-critical-race-theory

• What are you noticing in current events about CRT?

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Closing Considerations?

Sources

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Radical Pedagogy and Re/humanizing PK-12 Education, Radical Pedagogy Institute blog post, 5/27/21

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The Root Institute 2021: Unpacking the Attacks on Critical Race Theory, Vanessa De Luca, The Root, 9/21/21 (video and article)

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Critical Race Theory Fightback Toolkit, Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative (EJROC) at NYU Metro Center and the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) K-12 Working Group, 2021

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The 20th-Year Anniversary of Critical Race Theory in Education, Colleen A. Capper, Educational Administration Quarterly, 2015

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Introduction to Critical Race Theory, The Equity Collaborative, 2020

A Primer on Intersectionality, African American Policy Forum, n.d

A Lesson On Critical Race Theory, Janel George, American Bar Association, 2021

What is Critical Race Theory and Why is it Under Attack? Stephen Sawchuk, Education Week, 2021

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