Critical Race Theory in Schools? Where? Sign me up!

I was so excited to hear conservatives announce that they had discovered K-12 educators implementing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in their curriculum.  I was ready to find these schools so that I could move my elementary-aged kids immediately. This would be a dream come true for me as a Black woman, anti-racist activist, critical race theorist, and motherscholar.  The prayers for my children's educational future were being realized.

Who wouldn't want their children to attend schools where educators root their instruction in historical truth, dignity of all people, and liberatory practices? Ones where they understand the intersectional identities of diverse people. Ones where they help all students think critically about the world around them so that they can better understand not only themselves, but also our current racialized context.  For example, CRT helps us to know that while race was made up and not biological, it has real impacts because our government passed laws using race to make white people superior and people of the global majority inferior. It's important that we understand the enslavement of Africans was legal, stealing indigenous land was legal, forcing Japanese Americans into interment camps was legal, only allowing white people the right to vote was legal, creating separate schools and facilities for white people was legal, creating white-only neighborhoods was legal. Yaasss, CRT makes this visible!

So when people say, "Racism is systemic," students will understand. They will better understand wealth, health, and educational disparities, just to name a few.  CRT will also help white people to zoom out, putting not only their lived experiences but also the lived experiences of those from whom they are different into a larger context.  The points of emphasis move away from shaming toward an analysis of systemic oppression.  Once students can name it, they can also work to dismantle these systems of harm, creating the socially just society we all want to live in. Right?

Imagine my utter disappointment when I realized this was a hoax. Gaslighting. A political stunt to organize a racist right.  I kept waiting for the vocal critics to tell me where I could find these schools, these educators, and they never produced.  I believe educators are finding ways to lead with a CRT framework in schools, but the conservatives haven't found them. Upon further analysis of what the critics were espousing, I quickly realized they didn't even know what they were looking for.

I'm hurt. Exhausted. I thought my educational dreams had been realized.  There are educators out there leading this work, and I plan to connect with them.  Until then, I will continue my efforts of offering educator workshops rooted in a CRT framework, hoping that some of these teachers take what they've learned to their entire school community.  And if anyone knows a school already embodying CRT tenets, please let this motherscholar know!