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Critical Thoughts on Critical Race Theory
Why I am against the ban
What is Critical Race Theory?
Critical race theory — or CRT — is an academic discourse in how racial inequities in this country are undergirded in historical legislation. Grounded in race, inequality, and racism, these laws continue to influence and penetrate current-day systemic and institutional injustices.
Race is a socially constructed phenomenon which is derived from scientific attempts to categorize and classify humanity. Classifications — largely attributed to Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish taxonomist — are based on hair type, skull size, shape of the nose, and skin color. Variations in skin color came to be known as “race,” with the lightest skin color classified as Caucasian (and considered the most desirable), while the darkest shade of skin was classified as Negro (and generally regarded with negative attributes).
For a worthy article on Linnaeus and his taxonomy, see the following by Brittany Kenyon-Flatt:
