CRITICAL RACE THEORY: emphasizes how racism and disparate racial outcomes can be the result of complex, changing, and often subtle social and institutional dynamics, rather than explicit and intentional prejudices by individuals. It also views race as a socially constructed identity that serves to oppress non-white people.
I had no idea, CRT, was even a theory, as I grew up in America for the past seven decades. All I knew in the ’50s was that you always drew in between the lines to maintain white from seeping into black, (because gray was bad), people in white cowboy hats were good, those wearing black cowboy hats were bad, the Civil War freed all Colored People (back then the phrase was reversed from People of Color) and that neighborhoods needed to remain segregated because it was better for city life. Social Studies insisted that Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue brought religion and culture to North America, the Pilgrims were the good guys providing decent clothing and manners to THE INDIANS, and those heathens of North America needed to be tamed. In the 60’s we learned that those pesky Negro’s wanted to be called Blacks, schools would no longer be safe for white kids, because of bussing and integration, The Confederacy was not all bad, because it had its roots in Christianity, and if only the newly identified BLACKS would act more like WHITES, there would be fewer problems for them. In the ’70s REVOLUTION was a dangerous thing, and REVOLUTION was inspired by angry pockets of the population who just wanted more and more given to them and THEY never wanted to earn it, as did most Middle-Class White Americans. In the ’80s and ’90s, GREED was the God, and GREED, was a necessary tact for CAPITALISM to thrive, and having CAPITALISM thrive meant the GOVERNMENT had to stop catering to the lazy folk who were nothing but WELFARE QUEENS AND KINGS, usually not WHITE. From the 2000s until the 20-teens, I witnessed that HATE/BIGORY/RELIGIOUS BOGUS/and the once enshrined AMERICA AS A MELTING POT, was ancient propaganda, and just cover for old RIVALRIES AND RESENTMENT.
WHO KNEW, damn it…WHO KNEW, that wounds never truly healed would fester and fester until they once again they became infected with doom dread, and danger. WE ALL KNEW…EXCEPT like smoking tobacco…or polluting the air…or pretending there was ACTUALLY a divide between CHURCH AND STATE or maintaining Confederate Shrines… WE were lulled into disarray and a damning future, which suddenly collapsed into our PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. I had no idea what CRITICAL RACE THEORY was, but DAMN I do NOW, and I will EMBRACE its LESSONS, and I WANT TO LEARN MORE!
