Note: The views and opinions expressed in blog/editorial posts are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of Misbar.
A string of Republican lawmakers recently banned critical race theory (CRT) from being taught in their classrooms. Democratic opponents to the ban claim it infringes on academic freedom.
Academic freedom is important, to be sure. But as with other freedoms, it comes with limits. For example, it is unacceptable to teach inaccurate historical facts or incorrect mathematical processes. In the same way, Critical Race Theory should not be protected by academic freedom because it may teach historical inaccuracy, oppress students of color, and breed hatred.
Critical theory is a way of looking at a society that challenges power structures. Critical race theory, likewise, seeks to challenge power structures believed to be in place solely due to race.
Proponents of critical race theory claim that they are anti-racists and that their goal is to root out systemic racism and fight for equity. They teach that Black and Brown people have been oppressed throughout history; therefore, everything in American society is racist to its core, which prevents people of color from social mobility.
However, I believe that this ideology perpetuates racism and oppresses minorities. Opponents of critical race theory believe that the very claim inherent in CRT is racist. They feel that if you tell a student of color that it is difficult to amount to much because the entire system of government is set against them, this will deter many from even trying – thereby keeping them oppressed.
Proponents of CRT seem to believe that race is one of the most important factors in personhood. The Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project by Nicole Hannah Jones helped critical race theory to take off in academic circles. Even though it was denounced as historically inaccurate by some historians, it is used in classrooms across the country. Jones’ research claims that America was founded in 1619 when the first slaves arrived on American soil rather than in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was published. This project attempts to reframe American history through the lens of race. The idea is that American was founded on slavery, thrived off slavery, and is still racist to the core to this day.
Opponents of critical race theory believe that as a society, America has made many mistakes, but that it has been on the path toward becoming better ever since its founding. They believe that America was able to realize that society without slavery was both possible and preferable, and that American society as a whole is good and worthy of preservation; we can recognize our mistakes and continue to become better as a country without focusing solely on race as a locus for historical investigation.
I believe we should ban teaching CRT from classrooms because it is historically inaccurate and because it tells students of color that they cannot succeed. It tells white students that they are to blame for historical injustices and thus breeds hatred between races. Instead, I want to see classrooms where every student is treated as an equal and told they can succeed.
This should be the standard set in every classroom, and every theory which threatens it should not be protected by academic freedom. Even though CRT claims to be anti-racist, it has a similar effect on students as blatant racism. This led Senator Ted Cruz to claim that people teaching critical race theory are every bit as bad as Klansmen – a statement that drew outrage from Democrats across the country.
He has a point: this theory teaches white students that they are oppressors and all other students that they are so oppressed they cannot overcome unless the entire American system is dismantled. Proponents of CRT might claim to be anti-racist, but the truth is that they are perpetuating racism because these ideas, once placed in children’s minds, could become self-fulfilling prophecies. Children who are told they cannot succeed are less likely to try. Children who are told they are oppressors are more likely to oppress.
Some proponents of CRT might think they are helping fight racism, but the real-world effects of their words will only perpetuate racism.
