How Critical Race Theory Went From Harvard Law To Fox News

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🗓️ 6 July 2021

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

Critical race theory is a legal framework developed decades ago at Harvard Law School. It posits that racism is not just the product of individual bias, but is embedded in legal systems and policies. Today, it's become the subject of heated debate on Fox News and in local school board meetings across the country.

Adam Harris, staff writer at The Atlantic, explains why. Harris has traced the debate over critical race theory back decades.

Gloria Ladson-Billings spoke to NPR about watching that debate morph in recent years. She's president of the National Academy of Education and one of the first academics to bring critical race theory to education research.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Last month at the beginning of a public school board meeting in Chandler, Arizona.
0:04.3	So this takes us to our citizens comment portion of the meeting.
0:07.7	Board President Barb Boston opened the floor this way.
0:10.9	Critical race theory has not been on our agenda and is not on our agenda this evening.
0:17.0	There have been a number of erroneous reports that Chandler Unified School District is using
0:22.8	critical race theory.
0:24.6	Agenda item or not, that's immediately where the conversation went.
0:28.0	Because you guys changed the name to equity does not mean it's not the same thing as a critical
0:31.9	race theory.
0:32.9	You can call it critical race theory, deep equity, social emotional learning, it's all the same.
0:38.6	They're just synonyms.
0:39.6	You are teaching them to be divided.
0:42.2	Why kids don't see color race?
0:45.6	This is a racist, vile and evil ideology that has infected this once great school district.
0:50.9	CRT.
0:52.7	All that's doing is creating racism.
0:55.2	Is this similar scene at Wash O County School District in Reno, Nevada?
0:58.9	I can say this for last because you'll probably kick me out.
1:02.4	You guys are all a bunch of cowards and liars in Fort Worth, Texas.
1:07.0	We will not tolerate the schools to indoctrinate our children.
1:11.3	This agenda will stop right now.
1:15.9	And at a school board meeting last month in Loudon County, Virginia, some parents were
	...

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