Education Week (2021) defines critical race theory as a 40 year old academic concept with the core idea that "race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies. ... A good example is when, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to Black people in those areas." 

In short, it's a way of understanding how American racism has shaped public policy and our government (EW, 2021).

Rep. Glenn Youngkin vowed that on Day 1 of his term as governor of Virginia he would ban critical race theory in the school systems. He said at a rally in October that education starts with curriculum, and that both 'fabulous' and 'abhorrent' chapters in our history will be taught. (FoxNews, 2021).

"Dr. Martin Luther King implored us to judge one another based on the content of our character and not the color of our skin." said Youngkin (FoxNews, 2021). He also said that critical race theory "teaches children to see everything through a lens of race and then to divide them into buckets and have children [who] are called privileged and others [who] are victims."

Youngkin's wish for teaching without a lens of race shares many similarities with the "not seeing color" argument that many people who claim they are not racist use. A Forbes article from 2019 makes the argument that the "I don't see color" mantra is actually hurting diversity and inclusivity efforts. Article author Janice Gassam Asare says that the goal is not to be color-blind, but to "recognize skin color and to control and regulate your innate pulse to make decisions based on such characteristics". Instead of claiming we're not different, we need to acknowledge and celebrate our differences. Taking away the 'lens of color' invalidates people's individual experiences and differences. This way of thinking hurts people, just like banning CRT will.

By banning critical race theory, we're ignoring and erasing history and invalidating people's identities to make certain people feel better about themselves. Critical race theory does not attribute racism to white people as individuals or even groups of people, but it does teach how racism is laced into the systems and institutions the white founders of this country created.

Education is of the utmost importance today more than ever, and while it is responsible for teaching us about our past and how to learn from it, it has no responsibility to make you feel better about yourself. If critical race theory makes you feel victimized, to blame, or defensive, remember that you can get rid of those feelings by practicing empathy, educating yourself, and listening to others in order to be part of the solution, not the problem.

Please help us stop Governor Youngkin from banning critical race theory.

If you're interested in reading more about critical race theory, I've included the sources I used.

FoxNews: Glenn Youngkin vows to ban critical race theory if elected Virginia governor

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

Forbes: Why The 'I Don't See Color' Mantra Is Hurting Your Diversity And Inclusion Efforts

CNN: This is exactly how dumb our politics have gotten