Why Race Matters: Critical Race Theory 

“Have we reached the ultimate stage of absurdity where some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, while other people are not held responsible for what they themselves are doing today?” -Thomas Sowell

In our postmodernist society, especially in educational channels, the definitions can change rapidly. Schools can and should teach about the history of racism, but they should not indoctrinate children into the cult of race essentialism, collective guilt, and racial superiority theory. After 20 years of government service, I am so distraught at the inability of government to enhance the lives of our young people. Black children in our country have been downgraded to societal victims who are incapable of learning. The notion that we have to make classes less rigorous while subjects such as mathematics are labeled as racist leave me heartbroken. I see no problem with parents and children attempting to save themselves from toxic far-left propaganda with its origins in Marxism.

The beauty of using the history of previous generations to villify an entire demographic: it can never be changed. It will remain available any time you need to. No matter how much you punish your target demographic; the history will remain unchanged and they will be no less villified. Fascists have used this for generations.

Comment Section failed the Vibe Check

The previous professor says it’s a legal view of systemic racism. The example of the cashier isn’t base on a law. Then the discussion talks about individual vs systemic racism. And they mention a murder who killed blacks people and said that the environment led to individual racism but that only relates when systemic racism is a thing. Critical race theory seems to me at least from what I’ve learned from this video completely useless because the theory only has any ground when people are legally discriminated against. I don’t exactly understand why critical race theory is something that should be taught when all it comes down to is “black inequality is caused by the government having laws against them” when no laws can be mentioned.

No one is against teaching factual history. Historical discrimination against poc in this country is a fact. What I object to is racial sensitivity training in k-12. Teaching children that they are part of a race that is characterized as oppressors or oppressed.

Cliff’s Notes on CRT: “If a Black person has a problem, a White man caused it.” You’re welcome. Follow me for more quick and accurate shortcuts.

Sowell > Bell

I had a CRT moment today while driving......I am nearing 60 and this young immigrant, couldn't have been much more than 18-20 years old zoomed by me and made me feel like I was a safe driver while he was an abrasive speeder who was barreling down the crooked road to driving school.

Good evening dear professor! Thanks a lot for presenting this super lesson. It is benefit for me . Thanks and welcome to Morocco if possible .....

Neat vid. I appreciate these two talking about this. I wish I could understand how this works out in the real world. There are lots of problems that need to be worked on. One thought that makes it difficult is when using stories. The grocery store story is kinda problematic. Just because one person was allowed to take their groceries home without paying that doesnt mean any other white ppl can do that, for example. And just because the one man wasnt allowed to, that doesnt mean the decision was based upon race. More likely the woman was allowed to take them home while the man was required to leave them there. Just an issue with using stories as data points.

I am a 55 year old white male (him/he) in an MSW program at ASU tryin to truly understand what CRT really is, and how to frame it so I can make an honest attempt at some clarity on the topic. I just want to let you know how beautiful your conversation was. Thank you for that. I was teared up as well

If race is a social construct, why don't you just identity as white?

Shopkeeper story proves how racist you are. You jump right to the fact race d3cided it without evaluating other variables. Could it simply be who has been to the store more frequently or been going longer

Good morning dear professor. Thanks for your information. Super lesson.... Welcome to Morocco if possible....

my mum taught me so and i was always saying myself: "the us-system is inherently racist" - that doesn't mean #dat i think we can just teach university context post-structural content in schools for kidz and teens, they simply don't have enough perspective to understand the complex relationship between individual and structure. we wan't them to be friends and trust the community they live in... this type of education would be GOLD for awareness building amongst TEACHERS! but there plz not only racial, but also economical inequality...

I miss in the end the same example described for grand parents and parents. “Here I am, emeritus professor in 21st century and I can’t ..., impossible” So what is impossible nowadays?

Well enough stated argument for CRT but rather vague. I do believe that our forefathers are idolized and I only learned of their flaws in college. They shouldn't be demonized either. However, an aspect that was clearly left out of this discussion is that Caucasian students starting in elementary schools where CRT is being taught are told that they are "oppressors" because they are Caucasian. So what I would like to know is whether CRT is being taught incorrectly or whether this is part of CRT. Anyone with an answer?

Yall are a blessing with your strength, fortitude, and incredible wisdom to bring these truths in a society so dangerous and critically ignorant. I can't imagine the fortitude and strength to carry and to speak these truths and in the end truly help heal the world. You have blessed me. Thank you.

Gag

Are there applications of Critical Race Theory to non Western societies?

Thanks for this history and description. The amount of racism in the comments is a great example of what happens when your institutions are riddled with racism and it is taught throughout the systems and institutions of your society. We have a lot of work to do!

It's the truth people are afraid of let's just be clear about that

13:10 maybe there more to that story but I don't think that's a good example; especially if its a new customer or not well known, how else should a store manager have handled that?

I agree that we need to teach race but I’m more interested in them teaching about why certain races do better than others. Many people specifically liberals would have you believe that minorities are oppressed and aren’t given the opportunity to succeed but in tea the only race they’re referring to is black people. From what I’ve seen many minority races perform well in this country, certain Native American tribes own casino chains making allowing members of these tribes to inherit millions when they come of age, Asians perform well in education allowing them to get high paying jobs in many industries like business and tech, and I’ve seen many Indians become ceos of major companies like with twitter a couple years ago so you can’t tell me that minorities are oppressed because if that’s the case you need to explain to me why African Americans are the only ones experiencing. I’m not saying there aren’t certain policies,systems and even people that are racist and attempt to put down minorities what is saying is that those systems aren’t the primary reason black people are suffering the primary reason is culture. The way black Americans are raised and brought up is fundamentally wrong we need to put a larger emphasis on learning I’m not necessarily saying perform well in school what I’m saying is we need to teach and learn valuable skills that will make life easier for us and own children.

* C.R.T Should be taught not only at USA grounds, but also in Countries abroad ,Schools and Universities indeed. * Take as instance of Brazil, Where the Structural Racist Sistem, has the same as AMERICANS Far Right Wing Legislators ,trying to bringing down any Complaining against the Vingent imposed Racist management of the Laws and Rights deserved by Black add "Minority" Communities.

As Americans we have the freedom to disagree with each other, not like each other, disapprove of each other's beliefs and actions, but we are all still connected by the fact that we are Americans. How will CRT impact our grandchildren .. our great great great grandchildren and the country and society we leave them? How about we leave them opportunity to achieve based on their own sweat effort, good moral character, and smart decision making? How about we not leave them a legacy of unwarranted suspicion of their classmates and neighbors.

Interesting how Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings has forgotten the original inhabitants of this land....Native Americans/Alaska Natives/Hawaiian Natives. Time immemorial means nothing apparently. "Who's more American than a Black person?" Seriously she doesn't know history!! That was a slap in their faces!

I can't believe everyone who pays taxes have to pay for this. Why 😦

Yes. Millions of people need to work harder

Heres my opinon: whether people want to believe it or not: there is a bias in our country and Race is a big factor in that whether we see it or not. It can be covert or overt. We are taught how this race is like this and this race treated these people like that. This race is mean towards this race. I mean hell even if you look slightly different some people are asked "what are you" implying what their nationality or ethnicity are. We see that this group of people are being hurt but may not truly understand why. Hell if we look at 2020 just because and panorama started on China, people thought Asian Americans needed to be beaten....why? Race. Why did BLM happen? because Race. If you take CRT purely by the definition given in this video: its teaching history at its raw form. Then why is that bad? Like I learned about something recently that happened in history and was horrified about it but I also wished I learned it in high school and not when I was a 20 something year old adult. If we "hate" CRT well maybe we should emphasis raw history but also teach people about critical thinking and empathy. These people exist and we should treat them like human being and not a spectacle. If people want to get rid of "victimhood" then teach that no race or gender is lesser and teach to lift up your peers. Until we actually get it together and understand the American history happened and race has been a factor in the system and ways to change that, change ain't gonna happen. we'll be fighting each other until the Earth burns.

In the 70's and 80's CRT wasn’t being pushed in practice on kindergartners. Conflating the theory taught as a viewpoint in university with the indoctrination going on in k-12 schools today is intellectually dishonest at best.

Poor kids.

CRT is basically Marx's economic theory but instead of economic capital it applies "social capital." it posits that whiteness is the basis of our society, and since white people are inherently racist, that they system itself is racist. Equality is an illusion to them because it was written by white people and race was also created by them to exercise power over minorities. This also means biology and science is also inherently racist. They think that racism cannot be eradicated from within the current system so we need a social revolution. Aka neo Marxism. It also contains queer theory, intersectionality, black feminism, etc. So it can be very difficult to simplify but it all boils down to a revolution to a society where "equity" is applied, aka communism.

who is that young sinner with the handcuffs on his wrists? And what has he been after that they groan and shake their fists? And wherefore is he wearing such a conscience-stricken air? they're taking him to prison for the colour of his hair. A.E Housman

This is quite enlightening

Did you know that WWII Black veterans and descendants are STILL not allowed GI bill benefits? Can you imagine teaching WWII and GI Bill and not mentioning that 1 million Black veteran were excluded. There is a bill in the house and senate to change this. Authentic CRT seeks to uncover and remedy these inequities caused by systemic racism.

Absolute trash, divide and conquer oldest strategy in the book

It SHOULDN'T matter. The goal is how we make it so, not how we focus on race for the rest of time. Next question.

20:28 how is that a contradiction? In those times, you had to be careful how to play your cards. It's baffling to me how supposedly educated people fail so miserably to grasp that. It's incredibly ironic you look at it in black and white. No room for nuance and compassion except for a specific race...

Dr. Billings explained the concept of CRT very well! ❤🙂

Why is this on taxpayer channel with it being banned in school

Victimhood never got any group of oppressed people anywhere. We all have a story. Racism, sexism, agism, anti-LGBTQ, antisemitism, anti-Asian, anti-overweight people, anti-white people simply bc all white people are assumed to have white privilege, and I can go on and on, Values of family and education, and BEING A GOOD PERSON, are the only things that will move a group forward. This has been proven over and over again. Strong leadership is also important. CRT is not helping black people at all. Nor is BLM. In this great (but not perfect) country, EVERYONE has the opportunity to succeed. Each individual is responsible for pursuing their future, and those of their children and grandchildren.

PBS and NPR is funded by American taxpayers ($500,000 plus yearly ) along with donations and big Corporation commercials like Phifer. Unfortunately PBS and NPR has become increasingly biased against Conservative, Straight, Caucasian and Religious people. I stopped donating Money every year because PBS has destroyed their reputation of being a learning channel for all Citizens without being bias. History lessons are important and should be taught in schools responsibly. The message this Woman is speaking about is called Social society classes that is taught in Junior High and up !!!. Leave young children free of heavy burdensome information about race and religion at a tender age, ( let children be children !!! ) When they're in their teen years they'll have a better mindset of life's experiences. Elementary schools should be exempt , We already teach children to respect others for who they are, no matter what race, religion and background they come from !!!. History matters, but should be taught at appropriate ages, especially about Racism, Religion and politics !!!.

If you’re making the argument that equality is equality of outcome, and that all differences in outcome between races can be explained by racism, you’re plain wrong.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" Until humanity finds a way to stop making everything about identity, we shall pay the same price that we always have: Sending our children to die. Martin Luther King's words are as true today as they were when he said them. Yet we still don't get it.

She really broke it down good.

Dear Black people: Do not waste your time listening to videos like this. Make sure your people don't look at present day results that were set in motion throughout the history of this country, and feel inherently inferior. Teach them that poverty kills and your people were pushed to the bottom rung on this country before the laws were made equal. Then teach them that even if European Americans began to worship the ground that African Americans walked, and started to believe that they were inherently inferior to AAs, only a widespread and sustained effort to improve our economic standing in this country is going to change our disproportional results in this county. It doesn't matter how many EAs agree with CRT, the history of this country, the confederate flag, etc. Heaven is after death. So while you are living, understanding capitalism is how our people prevent slow extinction. Any person who isn't teaching you how to survive in a capitalistic system, while you struggle at the bottom of it, is wasting your time: irrespective of their skin color. Spend your time understanding capitalism, the Fed, inflation, the tax code, business, stocks and other asset classes, how what the fed does affects the dollar value and the dollar value of all assets priced in dollars. Don't be distracted! High inflation and hyper-inflation is coming for all Americans irrespective of race, and coming disproportionately for AAs due America's history of oppressing AAs to the bottom and our inability to collectively climb out from the bottom. Yes we need more time and have only been completely free for 50 or so years, but we are free and we have work to do. See you at work!

What does CRT have to say about black on black crime?

Thank you professor, thank you presenter: you both have such great delivery, this really helped me learn

We all know that we wouldn't have let the brother take the groceries and come back and pay.

Massacres? Rwanda?

I'm going back to the mango tree 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴😊

Great discussion and explanation. I teach a class in Lisbon for future teachers and this is a topic for discussion. Here we teach about our colonial past and the inequalities that came from that. We use it as a tool to learn in order to build a better future . We don’t hide the truth

With the grocery store scenario. They didn't ask how often you go to this mom and pop store. If the 1st person goes all the time and the 2nd the first time, well??? What decade? In the 60s low population, maybe they know everyone. 2000s population higher and not know as many.

I'm an independent black woman and I don't need no man

it doesnt

Critical Race Theory isn't teaching about RACISM all its TEACHING DIVISION AND VICTIMHOOD

Her example at 14:30 is not a legal/systematic issue in the least. There is no law or objective system in place for that scenario to only apply to a white person. The key variable is the human/social construct and therefore no change in law/system would address it from happening again.

Critical race theory matters because we will never overthrow capitalism without it

Agreed. Insightful and powerful.

No yours doesn't

Quite a powerful speech.

AKA Critical Victim Theory

its idiocy

Slavery has end now, No you don't have to think this way, Think what they are telling you Wow

1:12 CRT is rubbish 😡

Slave lasted 89 years in the USA. 1776 to 1865. Not 400 like CRT teaches. The USA is only 247 years old.

no I think about it - a lot of this CRT is just weak people who couldn't fight back when targeted - now they want to inflict emotional trauma on everyone they can

if you want more racism, we need to teach CRT.

"Critics of anti CRT legislation say that if America desires a more equitable future then we must acknowledge the atrocities of the past" Anti CRT people don't desire equity ! They are against enforcing equal outcome. And anti CRT legislation has nothing to do with not teaching about ugly past. It's not against (objectively) teaching about the ugly past. "You wanna tell me that millions of people just need to work harder" ? Well, millions of people ARE working harder. Asian, Indian, African people are doing quite well in America. So it is demonstrably true. That hard work is a solution, that work will bring results. Asian, Indian or Nigerian immigrants are doing even better than average whites. So on the other hand you must explain how is that possible? If the system is oppressive -against non white population? "Simple definition: Its whole point is to try to explain racial inequality, try to make sense of it" ? Its whole point is to find racism. Not IF there is racism. CRT starts with conclusion. The country is built on, based on racism, America is racist country. They start with conclusion: Disparity =racism. Then looks around for disparities to find racism everywhere in everything. Even though disparity is to be expected. In general zero disparity would be strange. No one denies that racism exists. But it's hard, getting harder and harder to find a racist person nowadays. So they are expanding and changing the meaning of words and definitions. Like power +privilege nonsense, as if black ppl. can't be racist and only whites are racist. And they're looking for systemic racism. Systematic, systemic, systems of oppression /racism. CRT is social /racial justice activism with agenda ! To change -not to understand or explain society. It's unscientific (unfalsifiable) dogmatic ideology masquerading as academic studies. It's perpetuating victim mentality, resentment and collective guilt. It's harmful to minorities and majority likewise. It is hateful, divisive, pernicious ideology. CRT is like creationism in biology or eugenics in social studies. Has no place in academia, should be purged from education system.

Republican are PUSHING THIS SCHOOL LAW ABOUT WHAT TO TEACH IN SCHOOL. This is Good, Black, Mexican, Asia, all people will get to choose what's being taught to their Kids Too with That Bill! No more just George Washington, etc. Its been too much 1 race being highlighted in Schools. Democrats need to push this. Spread the word!!

What a bunch of bullshit

Racist propaganda.

I figured racial disparity was caused by blacks being less educated which goes to probs with inner city schools which have been egregious for decades. Also, there has definitely been a breakdown in black culture. The church is not as strong. Fathers are often absent, kids raised in poverty with no education, we all know the list. here in Chicago it's gotten crazy. I used to go to the south side all the time 20 years ago. I wouldn't go now, every 10 year old has a gun. That breakdown is a contributing factor too and to my way of thinking is not caused by racism. Happy to have adult conversations if anyone wants to. We're all in the boat folks.