A dear friend of mine asked me to help them understand Critical Race Theory.

I provided a book, an op-ed article, and a short video clip, each featuring experts in various fields that utilize Critical Race Theory. We can define Critical Race Theory as this, taken from legal scholars Delgado & Stefancic (2012):

Critical Race Theory (CRT) movement is a collection of activists and scholars interested in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism, and power. The movement considers many of the same issues that conventional civil rights and ethnic studies discourses take up, but places them in a broader perspective that includes economics, history, context, group- and self-interest, and even feelings and the unconscious. (p. 3)

That’s it. This definition comes from page 3 of the book, literally the second page of the Introduction.

I’ll be honest with you; this definition is a little too “textbook-y” and “academic-y.” It’s okay if you got lost halfway through the paragraph and had to start over. Perhaps you scratched your head and thought to yourself, “Movement? How can a theory be a movement?” I feel you; it is pretty “academic-y.”

A more helpful way (at least for me) in understanding the work that CRT scholars produce is by thinking of it as a Race & Power Framework. Calling CRT a “theory” is not very helpful. For many people, I imagine, the word “theory” makes us think of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Perhaps the term “theory” is erroneously pared down to “my thought/opinion.” Rather, viewing CRT as a “framework” to analyze race and power in our society can be more constructive. Think of construction workers using an architectural plan as the “framework” to build a tower.

How are you doing? Still here?

I’ve been thinking of another metaphor for CRT that I want to share with you. If any simplification for CRT existed, this would be it. However, I am hoping this serves as a decent metaphor containing the “right stuff” and the correct spirit of the framework than, say, the falsehoods (and blatant lies) from conservative media.

Here is the story:

When you were a child, you would go outside at night and look up at the stars. Since you lived in the suburbs, you got a decent view of the skies. However, the nearby city provided a lot of light pollution, so your vision was slightly obscured. Your telescope helped, but it could only do so much.

One day you went to camp in the mountains. There, away from the lights of the city, you were able to see the stars in all their glory.  Your telescope was much more helpful now! You were able to see some of the stars were arranged in such a way that they make shapes and figures across the night sky. One of your fellow campers told you those were constellations. Pretty cool, right? Then your friend encouraged you to learn more about constellations by recommending a book.

When you went back home you asked your parent to take you to that Mecca for nerds: the library. There, you checked out a book about constellations. Later that evening you went back outside with your telescope and book and looked up at the stars. Now you could label each star and constellation you saw.

That’s it. That’s my metaphor for CRT. In this story, the book is CRT, the stars represent racist acts, and the constellations represent racism as a system.

You can easily see the stars at night just as you can hopefully distinguish good behaviors from racist acts (think Goofus and Gallant, but with Tucker Carlson and Mister Rogers). With a telescope (i.e., relationships with folks from different cultural backgrounds than yours), you can better view the stars. Your friend (or an expert, such as a professor in Sociology) can help you see how the stars come together to form constellations. A constellation book is the framework that helps you identify each of the stars and constellations. That book is Critical Race Theory.

These discussions about CRT in the media are very harmful to society. Inviting political pundits to share their personal definitions of CRT is dumb. Would you consult your dog’s veterinarian when your car malfunctions? Or would you ask a plumber to diagnose your daughter’s illness? No, both of these situations are ridiculous! So why do you seek the opinion of a politician for matters that require a Cultural Studies professor?

Anyways…I recommend checking out the following resources if you want more information about Critical Race Theory and/or Racism:

Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic: Critical Race Theory: An Introduction

Ibram X. Kendi: Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Ibram X. Kendi: How to be an Antiracist

Ibram X. Kendi: There Is No Debate Over Critical Race Theory

Robin DiAngelo: White Fragility: Why it’s So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism

Robin DiAngelo: What Does it Mean to be White? Developing White Racial Literacy

Ijeoma Oluo: So, You Want to Talk about Race

TED Talk: The difference between being “not racist” and antiracist | Ibram X. Kendi

Phil Vischer: Why do White Christians Vote Republican, and Black Christians Vote Democrat?

Peace & Love, y’all.

P.S. Stars are not racist. Please don’t let that be your takeaway!