I must admit that until recently I had never heard of “critical race theory.” After I scampered about and found out, I was dumbfounded as to how this phrase has become an epithet for the Republican right to excoriate Democrats. CRT simply describes the history of race in the United States. Many of us, if not most, know that it is true, that it is part of the story that needs to be told along with the good stuff. That’s what writing history is all about. Clearly, holding CRT up as biased or harmful is one more shameless attempt by Republicans to keep their base riled up to win elections.<\/p>\n
For your information, I have reprinted an article on CRT by Steve Leimberg who wrote the Demagogue’s Handbook that I published recently. I find his comments both informative and worthwhile.<\/p>\n
Stephan R. Leimberg
\nHAPPY EVER AFTER?<\/p>\n
Critical Race Theory (CRT) essentially provides that racism was ingrained in our society\u2019s institutions and culture from its inception and has continued and grown with a cancerous negative influence. Certain politicians have claimed that discussing racism in our classrooms as a systematic illness exposes our children and grandchildren and military members to an attack on our history and our heroes and encourages our children to hate America and each other.\u201d Worst of all, one claims, \u201cit makes white people feel bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
These lawmakers are passing vague and sweeping legislation labeled as \u201cpatriotic\u201d that restrict and inhibit the way history is taught and what is available for students to learn. These laws attempt to limit instruction to only the highest principles stated in the Declaration of Independence and avoid the embarrassing, inconvenient, and downright egregious and atrocious acts committed by our federal, state, and local governments, by our religious organizations, businesses, military, and other institutions \u2013 and our fellow citizens. (Ironically, few middle or high schools in our country actually teach such an in-depth history of racism or the horrific atrocities that led to the Trail of Tears or the Tulsa Massacre or countless lynching or shootings \u2013 not to mention constant indignities, insults, and disadvantages).<\/p>\n
Sadly, systematic racism has been, since our country\u2019s founding, part of the American story. Teaching the reality of American history does not suggest either that we are an inherently racist or evil country or that any race or ethnicity is inherently evil. We do need to think critically and independently about our past \u2013 and present \u2013 and question our country\u2019s alleged and questionable place at the top of a moral ladder. We must take an honest look at what needs to be fixed rather than revise or ignore reality and continue to put our heads deeply into the sand. We must listen to and empathize with a life experience of fellow citizens that differs from our own. We need to admit that from birth and for their entire lives some groups profit merely because of their identity (e.g. being white rather than being black or yellow or brown) or their religion or sexual preference. We
\nmust acknowledge that discriminatory systems have – since our country\u2019s beginning – been established and deliberately maintained to continue that economic, social, and political dominance.<\/p>\n
We need to foster diversity, inclusion, empathy, and unity and reduce and eliminate systematic marginalization, biases, inequities, and discriminatory policies of all types.<\/p>\n
The truth is not anti-American. Facts are not un-American. Just the opposite! We can continue to teach a \u201chappy ever after\u201d simplistic fairy tale of our perfect founders, never wrong leaders, pure religious and social institutions, and paternalistic white business owners and executives based on falsehoods,
\ninaccuracies, omissions, and misleading statements. But I believe our children and military personnel are best served by an education that lets them find their own answers based on a deeper understanding of the facts \u2013 warts and all. Our best and brightest youth have curious open minds and want to know the truth about our country and how it got to where it is. We need to trust that they are intellectually and socially mature enough to understand that critical examination does not equal demonization. Our youth must learn \u2013 not what to think but how
\n\u2013 how to gather and evaluate, analyze, extrapolate, and think for themselves. General Mark Milley has stated, \u201cI\u2019ve read Mao Zedong, I\u2019ve read Karl Marx. I\u2019ve read Lenin. That doesn\u2019t make me a communist.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes. Just because you don\u2019t want the bad and the ugly taught in schools or learned by your children doesn\u2019t mean you are racist. But it doesn\u2019t mean you are part of the solution either. We can write our own destiny. We can teach our children that \u2013 while injustice still lingers \u2013 for people of all races and classes and religions and sexual orientations \u2013 it\u2019s still possible to overcome obstacles if you work smart and hard and long. You can have the American Dream if you work for it. But it\u2019s much easier to do that if the system doesn\u2019t have its knee on your neck. Admit it or not, the deck has long been stacked by those who benefit the most from dealing from the bottom.<\/p>\n
Our aspirations can make us the finest place to live on earth and we have come a long way toward those goals. We\u2019ve eliminated slavery and Jim Crow. We\u2019ve integrated our armed forces. We\u2019ve passed a Civil Rights movement. But though we\u2019ve come so far, the CRT debate reminds us how much further we need to go.
\nOur educational process is best served when it provides an unfiltered view of the past and encourages discussion and thought from that history. Trust our youth with the truth and they will help us get there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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