Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic
Review by Dave Gamrath
Critical Race Theory: An Introduction serves as a primer for engaging adult classrooms on key elements of CRT, including providing classroom exercises, probing questions and suggested further readings for each chapter.
Book Review:
To say that today’s America is divided is an understatement. Traditional divisive issues, such as abortion, taxes and healthcare, still remain. However, events of the past five years have inspired new divisive issues, such as if one supports Donald Trump, one’s standing on the validity of the 2016 presidential election, and one’s view of Covid-19 and its preventative vaccines. In recent months, Critical Race Theory, or CRT, has catapulted forward as a divisive issue. America’s political right, led by Trump and Fox TV, have demonized CRT, claiming that it is being pushed throughout all levels of America’s education system, that CRT claims white Americans should feel guilty of their skin color, that CRT is racist against whites, and that CRT is dividing America.
What exactly is CRT? To help answer this, I read Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancis’s Critical Race Theory: An Introduction. I was curious to learn the history of CRT, where and how it is taught, as well as its major themes and goals.
Critical Race Theory: An Introduction is very much an academic book. Although somewhat brief at less than 200 pages, it is organized not only to introduce CRT, but also to be used as a tool to engage discussion amongst its readers. Each chapter ends with a list of provocative discussion questions that explore that chapter’s material. A robust list of suggested further reading is provided for each chapter. CRT is clearly intended for adult education, especially as a law school topic. CRT is not intended for younger audiences as claimed by Fox.
CRT is the study of the relationship among race, racism and power, and explores how racism is embedded in American society, institutions, social structures, rules, laws, language and in our ways of doing things. CRT began in the 1970s, and tries to provide its students a broader understanding of our social situation, as well as tools for changing our system towards a more fair and inclusive society. CRT embraces storytelling as a teaching technique to enable people of color to recount their personal, unique experiences with race in America. The goal is to help all Americans understand the differing realities that exist in America.
A theme within CRT is that racism in America is not an aberration. Rather, it’s ordinary. It’s the usual way our society does business. CRT provides extensive data which exposes how people of color face racism in many ways, such as when attempting to get a loan or a job, equal pay at that job, acquiring housing, with police violence and harassment, in our political justice system, with basic health and life expectancy, and much more. One example of the many provided is the fact that black men who murder whites are executed at a rate nearly ten times that of white men who murder blacks. The book also discusses white privilege, which refers to the advantages, benefits and courtesies that come with being a member of the dominant race. CRT describes America’s system of race as a two-headed hydra: one head is blatant overt racism; the other head is our system of white privilege. Both heads have a poisonous bite. The idea of “color blindness” ignores embedded racism and the routine practices that keep minorities in subordinate positions. It takes color-conscious efforts to change our culture.
CRT does not hold a single view of race and racism in America. The book describes many CRT camps, including Idealists, who “hold that racism and discrimination are matters of thinking, mental categorization, attitude and discourse.” Realists hold that racism “is a means by which society allocates privilege and status.” Discourse analysts focus on societal constructs driving racism, including unconscious bias, stereotyping, etc., and their impact on our judicial system. Nationalists hold that people should embrace their racial culture, whereas Assimilationists believe minorities will be better off if they assimilate into their surrounding culture. Moderates believe that minorities should not try to fit into our flawed economic and political system but rather work to transform it. Finally, Materialists believe that breakthroughs for minorities are allowed only when it serves the interests of those in power. Which group gains advancement depends on which minority group can best provide those in power what they currently need. When one minority group is making progress, often another is falling back. These varying viewpoints provide the grist for robust debates amongst CRT students.
Although CRT began with a focus on African Americans, many different groups look at CRT from their own perspective, including Asian Americans, Latinos, American Indians, LGBTQ, Muslim and Arab caucuses. Each has their own priorities. People are often not one dimensional, and thus it can be difficult to pinpoint bias that they may face.
Goals of CRT include increased minority representation in our institutions, rectifying racism in policing and our criminal justice system, assuring minority viewpoints and interests are taken into account, and that adequate basic services, such as healthcare, are provided. CRT acknowledges that changes will take extensive efforts to make them palatable to white Americans.
The book closes with a prediction of possible futures for CRT, from CRT leading to a peaceful transition to a more inclusive society, to rejection of CRT. The fever of the current attacks on CRT indicate that not only is CRT being rejected by America’s political right, but that the right is intent on making CRT a wedge issue to get out the vote, using falsehoods to enrage their base. America’s political right is falsely redefining CRT, and in doing so, working to further divide America.
Studying race and racism in America is a sensitive topic, and can be upsetting. But CRT does not condemn white people for their skin color, or encourage white people to feel guilty. As a white man, I did not feel guilt reading the book. Rather, I felt inspiration to work harder towards a more equal, just and fair American society.
Reviewer Opinion:
Effective at providing a CRT primer.
Reviewer Rating of Book:
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