Black Parents Push Back Against Right-wing Attacks on ‘Critical Race Theory’
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Danielle Atkinson vividly remembers her outrage when she discovered an incident that occurred five years ago at Royal Oak Middle School in suburban Detroit. This incident took place the day after former President Donald Trump’s election victory in November 2016. A group of Latino children were peacefully eating when white students started chanting the popular anti-immigrant slogan endorsed by Trump, "Build the wall."
The consequences of this incident were devastating, with some of the Latino students reduced to tears. According to U.S. Census data, only 4.1% of the Royal Oak School district’s population is Latino. The district, situated just north of predominantly Black Detroit, consists of 77% white, 10% Black, 2% Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander, 0.1% Native American or Alaska Native, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
As an African-American parent with children in this district, Atkinson draws a parallel between the "build the wall" incident and the current right-wing attacks on conversations about racism and slavery in schools. These attacks often hide under the guise of "critical race theory" (CRT).
Atkinson, who is also the founding director of Mothering Justice, views the attacks on CRT as purely political tactics aimed at instilling fear in white individuals. She argues that such tactics have been used before and are simply dressed in different garb this time around.
So, what exactly is critical race theory? CRT is an academic concept that has been around for over four decades. It is not part of the K-12 curriculum in most Michigan schools. Essentially, CRT posits that race is a social construct and contends that racism is not merely a result of individual bias or prejudice but is deeply ingrained in legal systems and policies.
The framework of critical race theory originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s, developed by scholars such as Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado, and others. It is primarily taught at the college or university level.
Nikolai Vitti, the General Superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), recently stated during a meeting with the Detroit Board of Education that CRT is indeed incorporated into the curriculum of the 50,000-student school district. Vitti believes it is crucial for students to grasp the truthful history of the country, understand their own identities, and acknowledge the injustices that have taken place in the United States.
With Detroit’s population being 79% Black, the school district has a long-standing history of progressive educational philosophies. In 1991, they opened several elementary schools named after influential Black figures, including Paul Robeson, Marcus Garvey, and Malcolm X. Two years later, the Board of Education implemented a policy that infused African-centered education into lesson plans.
Despite DPSCD’s unique approach, Michigan Republicans are attempting to ban CRT across the state. This push to ban critical race theory began with Trump, who denounced the academic concept during his final months in office, following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The Trump administration deemed critical race theory as "un-American" and sought to eliminate its influence from the federal government.
Throughout this year, there has been a consistent national campaign against CRT led by Republicans and right-wing groups. This campaign resonated with white suburban voters and is believed to have played a role in the party’s victories in Virginia’s recent statewide election. However, there has been little attention paid to the impact on Black students and parents.
Republican lawmakers in Michigan have introduced bills addressing CRT, which have dominated education committee hearings in the state this season. On November 2, the Michigan House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by state Representative Andrew Beeler. While the bill doesn’t explicitly ban CRT, House Bill 5097 prohibits the State Board of Education or local school boards from incorporating any form of explicit or implicit race or gender stereotyping in core academic curricula.
The bill has progressed to the Senate for deliberation.
Senator Lana Theis (R-Brighton) is the sponsor of Senate Bill 460, which aims to prohibit the teaching of critical race theory and the New York Times’ 1619 Project in public schools in Michigan. The bill also imposes penalties for doing so.
Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank, the Manhattan Institute, who is credited with "creating" the national controversy surrounding critical race theory, testified in support of Senator Theis’ bill.
According to Rufo, critical race theory is an ideology that directly opposes fundamental American principles.
Critics such as Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor), the executive vice chair of the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus, argue that the bill is an attempt to censor teachers, school boards, and curriculum directors, and to hinder discussions about race and the impact of racism in U.S. history among students.
Geiss, who identifies as Afro-Latina, is also a parent of school-aged children and a former public school educator. She expressed her disapproval of the bill, stating, "It is shocking that the Legislature is even considering this narrow-minded, inappropriate, and corrupt bill. If this legislation receives support and is passed by the Legislature, it would hinder the ability of Michigan students to succeed in standardized tests or college entrance exams that cover American history or social studies. Furthermore, this bill would significantly impede education, talent development, and career readiness for young people in Michigan, ultimately having a negative impact on the state’s economic future."
During a House committee hearing in September, Molly Sweeney, the organizing director of 482Forward, a prominent non-profit organization led by local communities, parents, and youth in Detroit, criticized the bill as "dangerous." Sweeney, who is white, argued that the public education system already excludes important aspects of American history. She stated, "I am very confused by the notion of banning discussions on racial and gender stereotypes in the curriculum. In order to challenge and dismantle these stereotypes, we need to educate students about them. This is akin to burning books."
Longtime Detroit activist Edith Lee-Payne believes that the anti-critical race theory campaign is a tactic used by Republican activists to create a false argument. Lee-Payne, a resident of Detroit who participated in the historic March on Washington in August 1963 as a young teenager, where Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, argued that critical race theory is not well-developed enough to be taught in schools and is primarily used as a political tool by Republicans against Democrats.
Lacy Dawson, an African-American education and economic justice activist in Detroit and a parent with nieces and nephews currently attending public schools in the area, believes that all students are eager to learn about the advancements made by people of color and the racial discrimination they have faced from white individuals. Dawson believes that students have much to gain "if the parents would just allow it."
This article was originally published in Michigan Advance.