Transcend CRT Debates in Four Steps

The R.A.C.E. Method flips the script on the Right’s cynical strategy

Photo by Liam Shaw on Unsplash

Today, white people are split about halfway down the middle on whether anti-white racism is as big a problem as racism against people of color. This divide makes institutional-equity initiatives difficult and is partly why conservative activists and organizers on the right have used critical race theory (CRT) to gin up anxiety about how our nation is changing and benefit the Republican party in the 2022 midterms.

One way to foster the racial reconciliation America needs is to have millions of conversations between white people who see modern racism differently. Despite the cynical origins of the CRT “national controversy,” white allies can use the topic to have long-overdue, more honest conversations about race — discussing, for example, how we should teach our children about racism.

The best way to engage someone who’s upset about critical race theory is to pivot the conversation to the teaching question, while modelling a high level of honesty about race. To manage conversations across differences (like CRT), use the following steps from The Dialogue Company’s renowned R.A.C.E. Method (Reflect, Ask, Connect, Expand), based on best practices in dialogue, conflict resolution, and effective persuasion.