LETTER: Using critical race theory to divide America

There seem to be a lot of politicians and political pundits these days claiming to be experts in critical race theory (CRT). I have taught race relations at the college level for more than 30 years, and I can tell you they are flat wrong. I doubt that any of them has ever taken a course in race relations. Instead, they are using CRT to further divide voters.

CRT is not about teaching white students to hate themselves or their country. It is about recognizing past and current injustices and finding ways to reconcile the social inequalities in society.

The basic premise of CRT is that large groups in society control the institutions such as education, the economy, government and mass media. In U.S. society, the majority of those in power are wealthy white males. Members of this dominant group use their privileged status to oppress the minority groups to maintain the status quo, including using forms of systemic racism such as discrimination in housing and employment.

Look at the number of states that either have or are attempting to ban abortion, which primarily affects poor minority women, or those states that are attempting to restrict voting rights, which primarily affects racial and ethnic minorities.

Aside from their attempts to further divide voters, I suspect the real reason these politicians and pundits are afraid of teaching young students CRT in the schools is because it will expose their racist agenda and risk their dominant status in the stratification system.