CRITICAL RACE

THEORY
Knowing It When You See It
and
Fighting It When You Can

Presented by Reverend Steven L. Craft M. Div.

Content courtesy of The Heritage Foundation
Systemic Racism
Critical Race Theory (CRT):
“Racism
 Is not the result of individual, conscious racist actions or thoughts,
 Is “systemic” and “structural”
 Is embedded in America’s legal system, institutions and free-
enterprise system
 Imposes “whiteness” as the social norm”
“The system, including capitalism, is “rigged” to reward white behavior
and preserve white supremacy”
Systemic Racism cont’d

Proponents of CRT have developed “Curricula and training sessions that

teach that racism is systemic and structural”

These Curricula and training sessions demand that Americans work to:
 Dismantle laws
 Dismantle traditions
 Dismantle norms
 Dismantle institutions
 Dismantle free-market enterprise
That is “the entire American system itself”
Systemic Racism cont’d

CRT AT WORK THE FACTS

Racial discrimination is illegal in America
*Dorinda Carter Andrews asserts
Civil Rights Act of 1964: “government
“It’s important to try to help youth understand
rejected racial discrimination and made it
how bias and oppression are illegal in all public aspects of our lives”

Institutional, “The Civil Rights Movement affirmed that

prejudice has no place in American life”
Structural and
“There is no evidence to suggest that our
Systemic social order is oppressive and dangerous”
and not simply interpersonal” We cannot overhaul society to address every
instance of individual racism that exists
*Chairperson of the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University
Race Drives Beliefs and Behaviors

Critical Race Theory (CRT):

“Proponents say:
 American culture is a conspiracy to perpetuate white supremacy by
imposing white concepts on people of other races
 Members of minority groups must reject habits and ideas practiced
by other cultures, even if the activities promote community cohesion
and individual well-being”
Race Drives Beliefs and Behaviors cont’d

“CRT champions curricula and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

programs that
 Separate individuals by race
 Teach that concepts such as
 Being on time
 Hard work
 Literacy
Are products of white values, and should be rejected by minorities”
Race Drives Beliefs and Behaviors cont’d
CRT AT WORK THE FACTS
American Culture
*Maria Ontiveros says  Accused of being a front for white culture=“an insult
to Americans of all ethnicities and backgrounds who
have flourished in America & contributed
“[M]any Latinos naturally significantly”
 View information about time more  “Is based on a timeless understanding of rights
rooted in the inherent value & nature of the human
generally and race”
 Simply cannot see the judicial system’s  Embraces common humanity and dignity=people of
all colors and national backgrounds come here &
need for specificity and exactitude” flourish
 Impacted enormously by institutions built by black
Americans who have worked, and sacrificed
*In “Critical Race Feminism” (p. 223) throughout our history
White Privilege

Critical Race Theory (CRT):

“CR theorists
 See American culture as cementing white supremacy
 Say that white people are born with unearned privilege that other
Americans are denied
 The unearned privilege produces a “whiteness premium” that
prevents working-class whites from collaborating with working-class
blacks to change the economic system”
White Privilege cont’d

“Reflecting its Marxist origins, CRT asserts that to achieve the unification
of the working class, whites must recognize their white privilege and
renounce it.”

CRT curricula and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs

 Compel students or employees to accept their white privilege
 Compel students and employees to work to abandon their white
privilege
White Privilege cont’d
CRT AT WORK THE FACTS
 Individual choices & decisions impact our
*Derrick Bell writes happiness, well-being and success more than any
other factor
“segregation” represented
 “Growing up in an intact family is the best
“An economic-political compromise between advantage we can give children of any race or
background”
the elite and working-class whites [that] gave
 Nearly all black millennial Americans who finish
to the poor the sense of superiority, while high school, get a job, and get married before
having children avoid poverty resulting in putting
retaining the substance for the rich.” middle class status or higher within reach
 Most Americans of all colors do not want the
*In “Race, Racism and American Law”
American system dismantled because they know
and see that it allows them to flourish
Meritocracy is a Myth
Critical Race Theory (CRT):
“Teaches
 Whites have rigged the system
 The system won’t allow Non-Whites to succeed
 The criteria used to measure merit and success in school or the
workplace
 Are not objective
 Are designed to keep white individuals on top
 Hiring metrics and workplace benchmarks e.g. punctuality and
logical thinking need to be eliminated for non-whites to succeed”
 Meritocracy is a Myth cont’d

Proponents of CRT have developed “Curricula and training programs

 That teach color blindness is a myth

Advocate for eliminating standard measurements of success

(standardized testing for university admissions) for reasons of racial equity”
Meritocracy is a Myth cont’d
CRT AT WORK THE FACTS
*Derrick Bell claims  “The path to success is well known-and it’s
not based on skin color”
“In short, merit
 “Academic standards aren’t holding our
 Serves as the phony pennant of color- children back-our failing public schools are”
 Research shows that policies as School Choice
blindness allow parents to opt out of failing schools and
choose the best education for their
 Used as justification for opposition to children=better academic results and higher
graduation rates
affirmative action”  “Success benchmarks and color-blind criteria
for education and employment will lead to
less discrimination, not more”
*In “Popular Democracy”
 Equity Replaces Equality
Critical Race Theory (CRT):
““Equity” demands race-based discrimination. “Equality” means equal treatment of all Americans under
the law.”

“Because
Systemic racism has produced disparities between the races and
The System will only deepen these disparities by rewarding the “wrong” criteria

Therefore
Government must treat individual Americans unequally according to skin color

Thereby
Forcibly [producing] equal outcomes”
White Privilege cont’d
CRT AT WORK THE FACTS
Equal opportunity does not produce
*VP Kamala Harris says equal outcomes
Two people are given the same
“Equitable treatment means we opportunity; only one takes
advantage of it = different outcomes
all end up in the same place” Taking away the reward from one
who worked hard to give it to one
who didn’t = betraying the
American dream; everyone should
have the same opportunity to
pursue success
How to Stop Critical Race Theory
1. Find out what your schools teach: submit a FOIA request to gain
access to public documents, including school board and school
district materials. Learn more https://bit.ly/3zclRtZ
2. Speak to your child’s teacher and principal: share with them
Heritage’s analysis treating students in ways shown in this
presentation violates several statutes (Title VI of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 and the 14th Amendment). Learn more heritage.org/crt
3. Engage with your local School Board: “More than 14,000 school
boards and 100,000 school board members across the country
determine the shape and content of curriculum in their school
districts.”
How to Stop Critical Race Theory cont’d
4. Become a Whistleblower: “You can submit documentation of CRT
training at your school or workplace to:
Parents Defending Education defendinged.org
Activist Christopher Rufo christopherrufo.com
The Daily Signal [email protected] ”
5. Become a Heritage Action Sentinel Today: “Grassroots activists are
leading the charge to stop CRT and ensure school curriculums
uphold the intrinsic equality of all humans.”
Learn more Join with 20,000 like-minded Sentinels at
HeritageAction.com/Sentinel