Unseen histories CRT
Critical Race Theory looks at how racial prejudice has shaped society, but its definition and application are being distorted, writes Dr. Steve Harper, a retired educator. (Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash )
Florida has joined other states in banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory in public schools. Here's a summary of the decision...
"After hours of debate and public comment Thursday, the Florida State Board of Education unanimously approved the amendment banning critical race theory. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who appointed much of the board, spoke ahead of the meeting, saying critical race theory would teach children 'the country is rotten and that our institutions are illegitimate.'" [1]
I am writing this post as an educator, and two major points emerge from that vantage point...
First, Governor DeSantis' depiction of Critical Race Theory is bogus. You can do your own homework, and the difference between what CRT actually does and what the governor (and others like him) falsely allege that it does will be obvious. [2]
In a nutshell, CRT aims to set the record straight on our history (vs. a sanitized narrative of it), not to denigrate the good that has been done, but to show where it has failed to be done--and to do this as a way to advance the nation's value of "liberty and justice for all" and its stated commitment to enhance the common good. A nation improves itself by insight, not ignorance.
Second, education is not designed to teach what we would prefer to know, but rather what we need to know. Education is intentionally expansive, otherwise it is indoctrination. Teachers exist, in part, to offer their students a range of knowledge about a subject, not a truncated version of it.
Putting these two things together, the decision to ban CRT is a denial of truth (through caricature) and a deformation of education (through sanitizing). We learn best when we know most, and we make constructive decisions when we know the whole story. When this does not occur, we become what Jesus described as "the blind leading the blind," and as he went on to say, everyone ends up in the ditch (Luke 6:39). The banning of CRT is another confirmation of Jesus' reminder that there are those who prefer darkness to light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19-20). [3]
[1] CNN report, 6/10/2021.
[2] Dr. Priscilla Ocen, a professor at Loyola University School of Law has said, "Critical race theory ultimately is calling for a society that is egalitarian, a society that is just, and a society that is inclusive, and in order to get there, we have to name the barriers to achieving such a society." For a detailed look at CRT, see the book by Robert Delgado and Jean Stephanic, 'Critical Race Theory,' Third Edition (NYU Press, 2017).
[3] Jim Wallis wrote a helpful article that interfaces CRT and the Gospel, "Bad Theology, Not Sociology," Sojourners, December 10, 2020. This article sheds light on the faux Christianity (e.g. Christian Nationalism) that is goading the teaching ban.