Opinion: Racism – not teaching about it – is the real threat to education - OregonLive

Jordan Thierry and Justice Rajee

Thierry is a documentary filmmaker and lives in Beaverton. Rajee, a parent of two children in Beaverton School District, is a community organizer and lives in Beaverton.

One candidate for Beaverton School Board posted on her campaign Facebook page: “Let’s run from Critical Race Theory which teaches racism and go towards alternate solutions that creates unity and understanding.” Another candidate posted on her campaign Facebook page that “CRT (critical race theory) teaches hate.”

For an election that typically flies under the radar, the emergence of critical race theory as a campaign issue reflects the lingering influence of former President Donald Trump and confusion about what examining race in K-12 education actually means.

The mischaracterization of critical race theory is no mistake. It is a platitude that has emerged from the political right in recent years in an attempt to undermine the work of social justice and equity advocates to address racial disparities in education. Last November, Trump commanded the Office of Management and Budget director to order executive agencies to cancel any contracts for training on the topics of “white privilege” or “critical race theory.” The memo ends with a similar mischaracterization: “The divisive, false, and demeaning propaganda of the critical race theory movement is contrary to all we stand for as Americans and should have no place in the Federal government.”

These criticisms of critical race theory are rarely accompanied with an explanation or definition. Critical race theory argues that any thinking about race should recognize that race is a social construct with no biological basis. Further, that racism is embedded in our society and institutions. Acknowledging these realities as a starting point can help leaders examine and better understand why racial inequities persist in education outcomes.

For example, in the 2018-19 school year, why did only 30% and 28% of Black and Latino 8th graders in Beaverton, respectively, demonstrate grade-level proficiency in math? Or why, more than 65 years after the Brown v. Board of Education decision, are the majority of Black students still attending racially segregated schools? By investigating such phenomena with a critical race theory lens, one can uncover the often difficult-to-see manifestations of systemic racism and reach beyond crude judgements of values and ability.

In the classroom, such lines of questioning can also help students analyze the phenomena they experience in their assigned readings, classroom discussions and their own lives outside of the classroom. By acknowledging that racism and other systems of oppression have helped shape today’s society, students are posed with valuable questions about how they have been impacted -- positively or negatively -- by those systems. This type of self-awareness is an important aspect in developing the leaders of tomorrow.

Fortunately, some of our local leaders have demonstrated a commitment to look deeper at inequities through this type of lens. Over the past four years, the Oregon Legislature passed legislation mandating the inclusion of Indigenous history, the Holocaust, and ethnic studies in public schools. In 2019 the Legislature passed the Student Success Act, adding $1 billion annually to improve access and opportunities for students who have been historically underserved in the education system. These are steps in the right direction.

Ironically, critical race theory is not included anywhere in the Oregon Department of Education state standards nor in the Beaverton School District learning targets, though critics have politically weaponized it, painting it as a threat to our schools. Racism and inequality are the real threats. Teaching our children to think critically about these realities is what education should be about.

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Opinion: Racism – not teaching about it – is the real threat to education - OregonLive
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