Summary - At the heart of the debate, - which is a major driver for the political polarization in politics around the globe, - especially in the United States between - liberals and - conservatives - is structural inequality inherited by colonialism centuries earlier - and how to deal with it today.

for - Critical race theory - key insight

key insight - The following passage gets to the heart of the matter: - (see below)

All these different ideas grow out of longstanding, tenacious intellectual debates.

Critical race theory emerged out of postmodernist thought, - which tends to be skeptical of the idea of - universal values, - objective knowledge, - individual merit, - Enlightenment rationalism, and - liberalism - tenets that conservatives tend to hold dear.

Many developed countries have national curricula and specific teacher-training standards, but the United States does not. Instead decisions on curricular and standards are created and enforced at the state and local levels, often by politically elected figures including governors, mayors, superintendents, and school boards.

This leaves early education in the United States open to a much greater sway of political influence. This can be seen in examples of Texas attempting to legislate the display the ten commandments in school classrooms in 2023, reading science being neglected in the adoption of Culkins' Units of Study curriculum, and other footballs like the supposed suppression of critical race theory in right leaning states.

This sounds a bit like Australian political culture is facing the same sort of issues that are being see in the United States with respect to ideas like critical race theory. Groups are protesting parts of history and culture that they don't understand instead spending some time learning about them.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/schools-face-parents-who-want-ban-critical-race-theory-don-ncna1284185

Too many people on the far right as well as some on the conservative religious spectrum feel it's their right to dictate what is taught in schools and are attempting to legislate against it. Sadly that isn't how this all works....

https://www.chron.com/politics/article/jerry-craft-books-texas-school-challenges-16596152.php

This is an important thing to say about critical race theory when the far conservative right is using it as a cudgel and boogeyman for all of society's problems.

The Attack on "Critical Race Theory": What's Going on?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P35YrabkpGk

Lately, a lot of people have been very upset about “critical race theory.” Back in September 2020, the former president directed federal agencies to cut funding for training programs that refer to “white privilege” or “critical race theory, declaring such programs “un-American propaganda” and “a sickness that cannot be allowed to continue.” In the last few months, at least eight states have passed legislation banning the teaching of CRT in schools and some 20 more have similar bills in the pipeline or plans to introduce them. What’s going on?

Join us for a conversation that situates the current battle about “critical race theory” in the context of a much longer war over the relationship between our racial present and racial past, and the role of culture, institutions, laws, policies and “systems” in shaping both. As members of families and communities, as adults in the lives of the children who will have to live with the consequences of these struggles, how do we understand what's at stake and how we can usefully weigh in?

Hosts: Melissa Giraud & Andrew Grant-Thomas

Guests: Shee Covarrubias, Kerry-Ann Escayg,

Some core ideas of critical race theory:

• racial realism
  • racism is normal
• interest convergence
  • racial equity only occurs when white self interest is being considered (Brown v. Board of Education as an example to portray US in a better light with respect to the Cold War)
• Whiteness as property
  • Cheryl Harris' work
  • White people have privilege in the law
  • myth of meritocracy
• Intersectionality

People would rather be spoon fed rather than do the work themselves. Sadly this is being encouraged in the media.

Short summary of CRT: How laws have been written to institutionalize racism.

Culturally Responsive Teaching (also has the initials CRT).

KAE tries to use an anti-racist critical pedagogy in her teaching.

SC: Story about a book Something Happened in Our Town (book).

• Law enforcement got upset and the school district
• Response video of threat, intimidation, emotional blackmail by local sheriff's department.
• Intent versus impact - the superintendent may not have had a bad intent when providing an apology, but the impact was painful

It's not really a battle about or against CRT, it's an attempt to further whitewash American history. (synopsis of SC)

What are you afraid of?

A quick overview of the basics and general history of critical race theory.

fear, uncertainty, and doubt are not an argument

To read later