Monday, May 2, 2022

I Really Need to Understand This ...

 ... or how calamari and gnocchi alla gorgonzola led to lots of reading about critical race theory. 


Last week John and I went out to lunch with two other couples. The men all worked together for 25 years or more, and the wives have all known each other for about the same length of time. John was the last person in the bunch to retire, so we got together for a celebratory lunch.

At first, we chatted about what everyone has been doing, their health, Ukraine, and the general state of the world. After we had ordered, one of the wives got a book out of her bag and said it was so good she had read it twice. The title of the book was Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide. I know that all four of the others are Republicans, so my first thought was "How nice! This is a genuine effort to understand the other side." But when I opened it up, the book was blank, except for a Table of Contents, which listed chapters on Economics, Foreign Policy, Civil Rights, Education, etc. I chuckled, smiled, handed the book back to her, and wondered how I could break into the blank book market. 

The conversation then veered toward their grandchildren. They vary in age from newborns to teenagers, but most of them are in school. The woman who brought the book is involved in starting a school at their church because she doesn't want her grandchildren to be taught any critical race theory. I had already defended covid vaccinations and mask-wearing, so I poured another glass of wine and asked her what exactly critical race theory was and how they were teaching it to kindergartners. She couldn't give me an answer that made sense to me, but on the way home I thought "I really need to understand this." I've certainly heard the term but haven't really understood what it is and why everyone is so up in arms about it. Many people seem to try and label ideas as simply good or bad, but I think that critical race theory is more complex than that (as are many things!) The term seems to have become a catchall for conservatives for teachings about race that they oppose.

After reading this weekend, I'm still not sure I have a thorough understanding, but I think I know a little bit more. One of the best definitions I found comes from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund: "Critical Race Theory, or CRT, is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society — from education and housing to employment and healthcare. Critical Race Theory recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities." I personally don't see this as untrue, but quite a few conservatives seem to have taken this as a personal affront and feel as if they are being accused, shamed, or labeled as bigots. “The problem is not bad people,” said Mari Matsuda, a law professor at the University of Hawaii who was an early developer of critical race theory. “The problem is a system that reproduces bad outcomes. It is both humane and inclusive to say, ‘We have done things that have hurt all of us, and we need to find a way out.’”

After protests over the police killing of George Floyd prompted new conversations about racism in the United States in 2020, Donald Trump issued a memo to federal agencies that warned against critical race theory, labeling it as “divisive". He issued an executive order barring any training that suggested the United States was fundamentally racist. The Biden administration has rescinded Trump's order, but many Republican state legislatures have latched onto the cause and an alarming number have passed state laws that restrict education on racism and bias. You can see some interactive maps here

From just a simple lunch, I can see how the topic has exploded, without people having an understanding of what it actually means. Several of the people at lunch told me that their grandchildren had been taught that Jim Crow laws prevented Blacks from voting and been forced to learn that Blacks are more likely to be killed by police. Well, Jim Crow laws did prevent Blacks from voting and minorities are still being prevented from voting; Blacks are more likely to be killed by police. I don't think banning topics in the teaching of history, English, literature, and even math (I'm looking at you, Florida) and quashing discussion of them is going to resolve anything, but I now understand what a hot topic it is. Maybe I'm sheltered and naive, and I don't often have political discussions with people, but I've been thinking about this discussion quite a bit (thus this blog post). Maybe we need to have lunch with acquaintances who are more open to ideas and more tolerant of others' viewpoints. (The food was good!)

I'm not sure I understand everything that critical race theory says, but I do know that we can't just make laws prohibiting it. Victor Ray, a sociologist at The University of Iowa points out, “Making laws outlawing critical race theory confirms the point that racism is embedded in the law.”

My Sources:

What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Is It Under Attack?

Critical Race Theory

What Is Critical Race Theory, and Why Are People So Upset About It?

Critical Race Theory FAQ

Critical Race Theory: A Brief History

Why Are States Banning Critical Race Theory?

CRT Map

15 comments:

  1. CRT is very complex, I agree, and a hot button issue for those on the right. I think that lunch would have given me indigestion!

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  2. First, you deserve a special medal for getting through that lunch experience. Next, I thank you for this thoughtful description of your process of learning more about Critical Race Theory and for all the links you've provided. The recent trend toward "banning" things (CRT, books, ideas, people, etc.) is frightening and backward. Taking off our blinders and LEARNING is the key to moving forward. (But I know you already know that.) Thank you for starting the conversation, Bonny. XO

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  3. Wow! Just WOW! I'm sure I would not have been so gracious over lunch...me and my big mouth would have been going on and on. Thanks for your research and the links Bonny. Scary times here in America.

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  4. I am nodding with Kym's comment about deserving a special medal for that lunch experience and YES... thank you for all the links! (I have lots of reading to do!) I agree that banning things and not talking about them is very frightening. We only can improve, get better, do better if we learn. And yes, learning is absolutely the key to moving out of this mess. But sadly, I'd have had my big mouth engaged way before my brain kicked in. Vera and I should perhaps have a Table for Two! LOL

    Thank you so much XO

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  5. Oh Bonny, I'm glad the food was good. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the process of enlightening yourself. And Victor Ray is exactly right....it does prove the point. But only if you are a thinking person vs a person who responds to dog whistles.

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  6. what a lunch! never a dull moment is there? I research all the stuff that is trending with the culture wars so I can be educated and informed.

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  7. I realize that the best way to bridge the divide is to engage with people who believe "alternate facts", but I am not always up to the task. I think you were very wise to ask questions rather than attempting to inform someone who doesn't want to be informed. This lunch behavior on the part of your companions is so lacks civility on so many levels. One of the things I cannot get over is how rudely conservatives bring this up in an attempt to look for affirmation or an argument. They obviously do not want to have a friendly discussion and learn something from someone with an opposing view. The real clincher is when they cannot explain what they are opposing, but are simply mimicking what they have been told to oppose by some pundit. There is a complete absence of any critical thinking, and they oppose critical thinking being taught in the schools. Oh yeah, we wouldn't want people to learn how to be intellectually curious - that's bad! It's much easier to be intellectually lazy. Who confronts someone with such a book in a social situation? CRT is not being taught in the schools, so this is truly a non-issue as far as public education. It is just another "talking point" that the conservatives have picked as an issue to fire up their base, regardless of whether it is pertinent or true. People who want to deny history and reality are not going to change their minds, I fear, no matter what anyone says. Thanks for letting me get on my soapbox, Bonny. I am so sad about discourse in our country these days. We have lost our way.

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  8. I am glad you had wine at that lunch to keep you calm; I would have run out screaming! I think the core of the issue here is that there are a lot of fragile white people who don't want to thought of as racist in any way, even as they benefit from racists systems and structures in society, so therefore they label anything that paints any white people as being racist or doing racist things at any point in time as CRT and therefore bad. I'd be willing to bed that none of these people screaming about CRT being taught in schools actually knows what it is and can articulately explain it. What they're actually against is teaching the actual history of this country, which is very much racist. It makes me so mad. I'm very grateful we're able to send our daughter to a private school where we don't have to deal with these idiots and in fact where they make a point to address difficult subjects and to be truly inclusive. She's reading a book right now in English class in which the main character is queer, autistic, and Jewish -- I can only imagine what some of the idiotic parents would make of that!

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  9. I admire you for keeping cool during that lunch, I would have struggled! My sister is chair of the Political Science Department at the university and we've had long talks about CRT, banning the teaching of racism, book banning, and general hatred toward people of color, LGBTQ, or any group that is different. I have a niece who is trans and another niece who is queer and I love them and I worry for their safety with all the hatred that is going on.

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    1. It seems that many people forget that their hatred and intolerance affect real individuals, like your nieces. Everyone deserves respect, consideration, and care, simply because they are human beings, trying to live and be happy. I wasn't so cool during lunch, I was more dumbfounded and speechless.

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  10. And as your blog name says...you are Highly Reasonable. Unfortunately, not everyone is, nor are they often willing to listen to ideas that might contradict their own. The last four years have really made that very obvious, sigh.

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    1. I know CRT is a thing that too many people are afraid of, and I fear we're going to be hearing a lot more about it as we approach 2024. I know it's just an impossible wish, but I think everyone should take off their blinders, open their minds, learn, do better, and be better. (If only.)

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  11. I'm glad the food was good and there was wine. and I'm so grateful for this lovely community of like-minded folks who aren't afraid to ask questions and dig in to do the research. My state just allowed high schools to ban student athletes from competing based on their gender identity.

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  12. I am with Mary, in that I'm glad the food was good. It isn't easy to challenge people's entrenched ideas so kudos to you. CRT is playing a big part in our current governor's race. Besides banning it being just plain wrong, the conservatives use it to stir up fear and misinformation to acquire more votes. If we understood history better, the way forward might be easier.

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  13. So many people want to ban something rather than understand it. Talking loudly is how they get heard without listening to reason or learning truths. Racism is strongly denied in most countries of the world, but this country most of all.

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