Just what is critical race theory anyway?Ĭritical race theory is an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. This explainer is meant only as a starting point to help educators grasp core aspects of the current debate. School boards, superintendents, even principals and teachers are already facing questions about critical race theory, and there are significant disagreements even among experts about its precise definition as well as how its tenets should inform K-12 policy and practice. Add children and schooling into the mix and the debate becomes especially volatile. But there is much less consensus on what the government’s role should be in righting these past wrongs. The events of the last decade have increased public awareness about things like housing segregation, the impacts of criminal justice policy in the 1990s, and the legacy of enslavement on Black Americans. In truth, the divides are not nearly as neat as they may seem. The topic has exploded in the public arena this spring-especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom.

Is “critical race theory” a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy, or a divisive discourse that pits people of color against white people? Liberals and conservatives are in sharp disagreement. Sign up for our EdWeek Update newsletter to get stories like this delivered to your inbox daily.

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