Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an important concept in the field of critical race studies, focusing on how racism and white supremacy are embedded in the structures of society and how they influence individuals’ lives.
It argues that racism is an ever-present force in society and that it is not enough to simply remove the laws that promote it; instead, we must address the underlying power dynamics that drive inequality. CRT provides a framework for understanding how racism operates and suggests strategies for dismantling it.
By examining the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and other social identities, CRT offers a powerful tool for understanding how racism manifests itself in our everyday lives.
Hence, if you don’t know where you’ve been, you don’t know where you’re going. But, not everyone shares that philosophy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been vocal on his stance against the CRT, insisting it’s divisive and has no place in the classroom. In essence, he believes that it undermines the American ideal of equal opportunity for all citizens, regardless of race or ethnicity.
But, the political reality is that DeSantis realizes banning Black history courses will score him points with the White conservatives AND, perhaps, a lot of Latinos of various affiliations.
As it relates to White grievance, recent polls suggest they believe that are being increasingly subject to discrimination as people of color. In 2015, only 38% of white Republicans responded that white people face a lot of discrimination. Last year, CNN referred to the work of Emily Ekins of The Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. She found that 73% of those who voted for Trump in 2020 believed “discrimination against whites has become as big a problem as discrimination against blacks and other minorities.”
Second, many Hispanics also believe there’s too much focus on Black history and culture and too little focus on Latinos, who outnumber Blacks 18.9 percent to 13.6 percent. However, Blacks, for centuries, had been the nation’s second-largest racial demographic until Hispanic surpassed them sometime between 2000 and 2010. As a result, there’s simply A LOT more American Black history than American Hispanic history.
As this debate about CRT continues to rage, we can expect to hear more from Ron DeSantis about his stance. It remains to be seen how this will affect the future of education in Florida and beyond. But, don’t expect DeSantis to change his mind anytime soon as he’s likely using CRT to make himself more popular with the GOP base in order to win the 2024 presidential nomination.
“For DeSantis, the stakes are equally real as he eyes a 2024 run for president,” said MSNBC’s Dean Obeidallah.
“And the more backlash to his ban on the African American AP course, the more DeSantis will be viewed by the GOP base as standing up for White people who feel like they are victims. None of that is meant to help the children of Florida. It’s all designed to help the political ambitions of one Ron DeSantis.”
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