In an interview with the IndyStar, Hayes said CRT has become weaponized as anti-American or anti-white. He also acknowledged that it has caused divisions and made some people feel bad or ashamed, but he said that wasn't the theory's purpose. Those parents also opposed discussions about white privilege and gender identity in classroom - and called critical race theory and social emotional learning "indoctrination."īriggs: Carmel schools don't teach critical race theory, but parents' anger proves point
Some parents outside a Noblesville School board work session on May 4 said critical race theory puts a focus on race and leads to racism. And parents at HSE and Westfield Washington have, too.Īt a Carmel Clay School board meeting on April 26, some parents and grandparents criticized the district's hiring of a diversity, equity and inclusion officer. Some complained that the school district was “pushing left-wing ideology,” an “ideology (that) will plant the seeds of self-hatred in our children,” an “ideology that white people are born as racist oppressors and Black people are born as our victims.” Some parents in Carmel and Noblesville have spoken out against critical race theory. What is the critical race theory controversy in Indiana? The theory examines systemic racism as a part of American life and institutions and how it can give white people an advantage.ĬRT gained traction in legal studies out of a recognition that the law was not inclusive of people who are not white - especially when it came to sentencing and accessibility to plea deals, according to Cleveland Hayes, associate dean of academic affairs and a professor in the IU School of Education in Indianapolis who has done research on critical race theory.
Key tenets of the theory mostly agreed upon by proponents are that racism is a common experience faced by people of color in the United States, that it is institutional in the U.S. What is the critical race theory definition? When did critical race theory start?Ĭritical race theory's origins began in the 1970s as various legal scholars, including Derrick Bell, a Black civil rights lawyer who taught at Harvard Law School, and others began to examine how the law and legal system served the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of others.Ĭritical race theory, also known as CRT, became an official term in 1989, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, when it was the topic of discussion at the inaugural Workshop on Critical Race Theory. Some states have recently passed legislation banning critical race theory, while other states have embraced it.īut what does critical race theory really mean? And is the subject matter being taught to Indiana students?
The topic is showing up in comments from Hoosier parents at local education forums and on social media and in the news media, while some school districts are moving ahead with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Three words - critical race theory - are getting a lot of attention in Indiana and elsewhere. Watch Video: Why diversity officers are a growing trend