Critical race theory in the classroom: Understanding the debate

Critical race theory is the academic study of how racism has been shaped by laws and legal systems in the U.S.

Critical race theory, an academic concept about systemic racism, has become a target of Republican legislators in states across the country. At least six states have introduced bills that aim to place limitations on lessons about race and inequality being taught in American schools. None of the bills directly mention critical race theory in their text, but the legislators pushing these bills forward have invoked the educational movement while advocating for the legislation. Kimberlé Crenshaw, a founding critical race theorist and Columbia Law School professor, said the concept of critical race theory is being misrepresented and used as a political tool. Critical race theory, she said, is a discipline that seeks to understand how racism has shaped U.S. laws and how those laws have continued to impact the lives of non-white people.