CNN talks to a scholar behind critical race theory, which 'seeks to understand inequality and racism in the US'

Critical race theory is in the news, now that school districts and even states are banning the teaching of CRT in public schools. But CRT is a hallmark achievement of the Left, so the signal went out for CNN to race in to explain what CRT is and is not — by talking to one of the scholars behind it. Sounds like a great way to get a balanced view.

Critical race theory is a concept that seeks to understand inequality and racism in the US. To get a deeper understanding of what the theory is — and isn't — we talked to one of the scholars behind it. https://t.co/hBNebh99EU

— CNN (@CNN) May 6, 2021

CNN refers all questions to Kimberlé Crenshaw, a founding critical race theorist and a law professor who teaches at UCLA and Columbia University. Faith Karimi reports:

Critical race theorists believe that racism is an everyday experience for most people of color, and that a large part of society has no interest in doing away with it because it benefits White elites.

While the theory was started as a way to examine how laws and systems promote inequality, it has since expanded.

“Critical race theory attends not only to law’s transformative role which is often celebrated, but also to its role in establishing the very rights and privileges that legal reform was set to dismantle,” Crenshaw told CNN.

…

“Students in our universities are inundated with critical race theory. This is a Marxist doctrine holding that America is a wicked and racist nation, that even young children are complicit in oppression, and that our entire society must be radically transformed,” [President] Trump said.

For an article that’s supposed to tell us what critical race theory is, it’s a failure. “The term also became politicized and [has] been attacked by its critics as a Marxist ideology that’s a threat to the American way of life,” Karimi writes, never addressing in the piece the criticism that it’s a Marxist ideology. Is it?

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The corporate press is indeed the enemy of the people.

— LHN (Opposes All Villains in the LNC) (@LHNecessary) May 6, 2021

Exactly the type of meaningless word salad I expected

— Blaha The GOAT (@04pistons1) May 6, 2021

Seeking to understand is good. Indoctrination is not. I see too much of the later in CRT.

— 𝓂𝒶𝑔𝑔𝒾𝑒𝟢𝟦𝟢𝟧 (@maggie0405) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/TheKurtster/status/1390433458422439940

We noticed they didn’t talk to celebrated scholar Ibram X. Kendi for some of his hot takes that reflect CRT as it is taught now.

Delete your account

— D.Z. Nuts (@Kalogrym) May 6, 2021

That’s a good laugh. Thanks for sharing

— JMR 🇺🇸 (@ThatOneCameo) May 6, 2021

“One of the scholars behind it.” – aka an advocate without real scrutiny from the other side.

— Tim Spivey (@timspivey) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/Jeff_28_08_1982/status/1390437046238449665

CRT is unequivocally NOT simply an acknowledgment of America’s history of racism. This article is hagiography, at best.

— Tim Spivey (@timspivey) May 6, 2021

Critical race theory reads like the kind of batshit literature a 19th century doctor who measures skulls with calipers would write.

— Josh (@WaffenWaffel) May 6, 2021

🤡🤡🤡

— Steven Finley (@StevenF72210964) May 6, 2021

Unfalsifiable and therefore useless.

— Rod Langlands (@rlanglands1) May 6, 2021

Yeah, theory, philosophy, analytical framework, whatever, it takes a lot of charitable effort to keep up w/ such malleable & evolving social theory to make it seem credible or effective in regard to substantive policy. Sociology doesn't synthesize its theory by public consumption

— Culpability Jones (@ShineboxHukster) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/Jeff_28_08_1982/status/1390436867695337483

"Scholars".

Good they didn't call them scientists, because CRT doesn't believe objective truth exists or is even important.

— Ron Arts 😊 (@raarts) May 6, 2021

You mean like how two plus two can actually equal five?

It's just a grift, you just have to take a look at how much money grifters are making.

— Rodrigo Villareal (@hillglazier) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/ClintFoxtrot/status/1390433422561222657

https://twitter.com/merit1776/status/1390434712880091141

"Critical race theorists believe"; this pretty much sums up the article. It's an ideology and a belief structure without evidence. Physicists don't "believe" things. Historians don't "believe" things. Real theories are based on sound evidence and experimentation.

— Craig Pierce (@petpierce) May 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/rllux2/status/1390433781610270722

Another austere scholar, eh?

— Yellow Wizard (@anonyfuss) May 6, 2021

How about talking to one of the hundreds of scholars who realize it's complete nonsense and downright malignant next?

— Chillwell ⛳ (@memoir_author) May 6, 2021

Is he suggesting CNN’s reporter talk to more than one person for a story? That sounds like journalism.

“Seeks to understand” my ass. This is propaganda.

— TaigaMade (@TaigaMade) May 6, 2021

* * *

Update:

Worth adding:

I explained it on your network in 2012. Critical Race Theory doesn’t try to “understand inequality.” It presumes inequality, even in equal rights, because it defines the system itself as white supremacy. It regards the civil rights movement as futile at best. https://t.co/bcrjIZkMyl

— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) May 6, 2021

Related:

‘We’re demonizing white people for being born’: Booted Grace Church teacher Paul Rossi has school head dead to rights on damning admissions about anti-racist education https://t.co/FuwrpiafGp

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 21, 2021