Institutionalized racism is the “differential treatment of individuals on the basis of their racial group by religious organizations, governments, businesses, the media, educational institutions and other large social entities,” according to the American Psychology Association.

  Critical race theory is a methodology for teaching United States history. According to a Reuters article, “The theory rests on the premise that racial bias — intentional or not — is baked into U.S. laws and institutions.” In other words, its aim is to teach students that racism is enforced by societal and governmental systems. 

  A main argument against critical race theory is that racism is not institutionalized — that racism is not enforced by the government or society as a whole — but is rather the product of individual bias. 

  However, this is simply not true. If racism is just based on people hating other people, then why are millions of Black people all over the country affected by the same things?

  If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why do Black women have a maternal mortality rate 3.55 times higher than white women? 

  If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why are Black people more likely to be killed by police than white people? 

  If racism isn’t a systemic issue, then why are Black people incarcerated 3.5 times more than white people?

  Racism may be affected by individual bias, but it does not mean that the sole perpetrator of racism is individual hatred.

  Another common argument against critical race theory is that if history is taught truthfully, then there is no need to emphasize institutionalized racism. However, not every student is taught history. Individual differences between history teachers, as well as differences from state-to-state education guidelines, do not ensure that every student is taught about all aspects of American history, and many students may have gaps in their knowledge of racism. 

  Several news articles over the past few years have featured teachers giving younger students assignments which minimize the brutality of slavery. These range from having students write pro-slavery tweets as if they were part of the Confederacy, to having them “make a slave.”  

  These lessons are racist and disrespectful to not only Black students, but all oppressed people in America. If public education gives teachers a space to make light of important topics, many of which have direct and hurtful consequences for real people, how will Americans ever learn how to address serious issues and sympathize with those who have different experiences?

  Besides that, allowing teachers to blatantly lie to their students and choose which topics are important or not important diminishes a student’s ability to appreciate American history in its full capacity. Many of America’s historical figures made an impact in countries around the world and will be remembered internationally. 

  Lastly, racism being a systemic issue does not inherently encourage people to hate those in power. People should not hate white people because they have societal advantage, and society cannot blame current and living generations for things done in the past. However, that does not mean that society cannot hold those in power accountable for maintaining racial bias.

  Critical race theory does not mean that teachers have to blame white students in the classroom or tell Black students that they are victims and will always be victims. Critical race theory does not need to be about presenting the United States negatively or positively. Critical race theory is necessary to teach students about the United States’ history and to eventually achieve a world in which racism is a thing of the past.

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  With the push for critical race theory to be incorporated into the curriculum of schools across the United States, it’s important to take a look at what kind of content will be taught to American students. Parents and students in many states, including Missouri, have argued against the teaching of critical race theory, as they believe its message will create more harm than good.

  EducationWeek defines critical race theory as the idea that “race is a social construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.” In other words, critical race theory seeks to point out race-related flaws in government and society.

  While this doesn’t seem bad at first glance, a further analysis of the curriculum reveals the harmful depiction of white people. The Washington Free Beacon reported on a St. Charles school board meeting in which LaGarrett King told the board that “Educators should teach history through a ‘social justice lens’ regardless of parents’ or community concern.” Through this lens, white people are seen as the problem behind all issues that Black people might face. Think about how this would make white students feel to be told that they are inherently privileged and their race is to blame for any hurt a Black person might experience. There are many white people who would argue that they have not experienced white privilege, as members of each race in the United States have experienced poverty and discrimination.

  Judging people based on race, regardless of Black or white, is simply the definition of racism, which the Oxford Dictionary describes as “prejudice, discrimination or antagonism directed against a person or people on the basis of their membership in a particular racial or ethnic group.” The United States has progressed significantly since the 20th century for the equal rights of all. If the country has made such significant progress already, why does it need to institute critical race theory? The nation already has pinpointed its issues and is working to address them without changing curriculum.

  Brian Echevarria, a biracial candidate for the North Carolina General Assembly, said that critical race theory is an untruthful depiction of Black Americans and their opportunities in this country.

  “I’m biracial, I’m bilingual, I’m multicultural,” Echevarria said. “The fact is, in America, in North Carolina, I can do anything I want, and I teach that to my children.”

  Echevarria also said that this new curriculum will only instill more racism in the United States. 

  “If you believe in CRT … It means you look at your Black neighbor and say they’re oppressed and you look at your white neighbor and say they’re evil, regardless of the experience you’ve had with them,” Echevarria said.

  If someone wants to argue that white people are to blame for slavery, a look at history can disprove that argument. * Legal slavery has existed in almost every civilization across the Earth since the beginning of humanity, and in some countries, it still exists.

  In regards to the systemic arguments, if someone says that Black people are more likely to be arrested than white people, the Department of Justice’s reports from 2021 disprove this.

  Any history class with a proper educational curriculum will show enough to students that Black people have faced discrimination in the United States and that slavery was a horrible institution. Why change the curriculum to a hate-fueled interpretation of the past? Are the facts supported by years of research, artifacts and scholarly peer reviews not enough? Why add more bias to history? Critical race theory will only add more division to an already divided nation.

If you’re passionate about a topic and would like to submit an opinion, please send letters to the editor to [email protected].