OPINION: Parents Can Fight and Defeat Critical Race Theory

Originally Published in The Ohio Star

Five years ago, hardly anyone knew what Critical Race Theory (CRT) was, but now the phrase is a common one in American households. The Marxist-based theory advocating a race-essentialist approach to education, law, public policy, and even health care, seeks to deconstruct the foundations of society and rebuild it as “antiracist,” while discriminating against whites along the way. Many people are overwhelmed with both the pervasiveness of the doctrine and the large task of fighting it.

Parents in Loudon County, VA, have tackled the issue head on, making national news by loudly criticizing CRT and electing school board members opposed to it. Such efforts, however, have been piecemeal nationwide.

Momentum in fighting this hate-doctrine is growing, though, and many parents want to know how they can protect their children and eradicate such teaching from their local schools. Catrin Wigfall, a Policy Fellow with the Center of the American Experiment, offers some practical ways parents can fight CRT.

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“Efforts to push back against CRT and identity politics in general must start at the local level,” she said. “Grassroots activism is key to making meaningful progress against efforts to reduce our children and society to the color of their skin.” She recommends running for school board, reviewing school policies, and reviewing school curriculum.

Assuming teachers are teaching the right things to kids is not an option; you need to know precisely what is being taught in your local schools. “Ask your child about the books they are reading in class and what they discussed,” said Wigfall. “Efforts to stand up for all students must include student voices, as they are the ones facing and battling the divisive ideology.

Some states are passing legislation against teaching CRT, but these laws won’t do the trick nationally or in perpetuity. President Trump passed laws banning CRT in government, and these were overturned once Biden got into office. Legislation banning CRT was introduced in the U.S. Congress last summer, but the question of whether this problem can be solved nationally remains.

In the meantime, parents need to make progress where they can, and that starts with truly understanding their cause. CRT doctrine must be widely understood and deconstructed for what it truly is: race essentialism, or the idea that racial groups possess underlying essences that represent deep-rooted, unalterable traits and abilities…