Racism + Critical Race Theory
Critical Race Theory Opponents Stand in the Tradition of Anti-Abolitionists
Recognizing the racist fears and agenda of CRT critics
Very few opponents of Critical Race Theory (CRT) would say they support chattel slavery. Very few would admit they would have opposed the abolition of slavery if they were alive during the time of chattel slavery in America. However, their opposition to the teaching of CRT is virtually identical to earlier opposition to the dissemination of abolitionist teachings and literature.
The anti-abolitionist movement in America
As I write this article on 15 November 2023, I’m reminded that 193 years ago today, North Carolina passed two laws designed to limit the influence and dissemination of anti-slavery literature.
One of the laws, “An Act to Prevent the Circulation of Seditious Publications,” banned bringing into the state any publication with the tendency to inspire revolution or resistance among enslaved or free Black people. A first violation of the law was punishable by whipping and one-year imprisonment, while those convicted of a second offense would “suffer death without benefit of clergy.”
