Thread by @UjuAnya

You hear US politicians disgracing themselves on TV shouting critical race theory (CRT) is a pox on all our houses, they're gonna ban it, slap it, flip it, rub it down, but have absolutely no clue what it is? Are you wondering what even is this CRT? Well, come learn. 🧵🧵 1/13

CRT is a framework (ideas and understandings about reality and how things operate) that originated in legal studies through the work of Derrick Bell, along with Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado, Mari Matsuda, others. It's a way to examine and understand how US law works. 2/13

Now you're thinking, people wanna ban somebody's type of legal analysis? Well, yes. But they don't even know what CRT is. They're racists and white supremacists who don't want public discussion and legal consideration of systemic racism and white people's unfair advantages. 3/13

Thing is, CRT didn't just stay in legal studies. CRT ideas and understandings about how things work in the US spread to other areas of study, because CRT explains and clarifies racial inequity *extremely well* and is helpful to figure out issues in education, politics, etc. 4/13

So, what are these ideas and understandings of CRT that upset people so much? Well, the CRT framework consists of very clear, simple, observable, documented, commonsense realities of how things work in the US, explained in 6 main tenets (points or major principles). 5/13

CRT tenet 1: Endemic racism. This principle says racism is predominant and very widespread in our thinking, interactions, systems, practices, institutions. Such that, inequality and unfair advantages whites have over POC are assumed natural, inevitable, and unchangeable. 6/13

CRT tenet 2: Critique of liberal myths. This says the idea all are treated equally with same rights under law, education, housing, other institutions is a lie. So, liberal notions like meritocracy (even playing field), objectivity, race neutrality (colorblindness) are myths. 7/13

CRT tenet 3: Whiteness as property. This says being white in US is a valuable commodity that gives those who possess this "property" (whiteness) unearned privileges like preference, authority, exclusivity, legitimacy, greater chance of survival (eg, police encounters), etc. 8/13

CRT tenet 4: Interest convergence. This says POC can only advance on mass scale in US institutions, society when their interests converge with white people's (when whatever benefits POC also benefits whites). Eg, white women are greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action. 9/13

CRT tenet 5: Counternarrative. This says personal stories (narratives) of Black people and other POC are legitimate authorities and evidence that counter (challenge) dominant white, elite, male voices society typically treats as sources of standard or objective knowledge. 10/13

CRT tenet 6: Intersectionality. This says Black women (especially) and other POC experience racism in unique ways inseparable from and worsened by other oppression like sexism, classism, ableism, homophobia. So, women's policies, for example, don't affect us all the same. 11/13

So, that's critical race theory. A set of principles scholars use to show there's no racial equality in the US, and racism and white supremacy are baked into laws, policies, practices, institutions (eg, education), literally everything. And all this is common knowledge! 12/13

When racists shout critical race theory is evil and should be banned, now you know what CRT is, which is MUCH MORE than they know. You also see they're telling you to reject reality and basic facts about how things work in this country just so they maintain power. Will you? 13/13

When you think about CRT (or any theory) understand its greatest usefulness is helping make complex realities (ie, systemic racism) easier to grasp. Eg, how do you see “whiteness as property” work? What material benefits does whiteness give people who have it? QT your answer.

Another CRT idea you can test if you understand how it works is “interest convergence.” What’s an example in society where Black people only gain uplift as a group when white people also benefit (even more!) from their gains? My 14yo said sports and entertainment. QT your answer.

Earlier, I said critical race theory represents reality and commonsense facts about US society everybody knows and understands. How? Take the example of Amy Cooper, the white woman in Central Park who was recorded calling police on a Black man lying and saying he attacked her?

Cooper tried to use police to harm a Black man, cuz she understood 2 ideas CRT describes:
1 systemic racism
2 whiteness as property
She knew police would think Black man was assailant (racism), and whiteness gave her property (credibility, assumption of innocence) he didn't have.