Written by Irma Ilustre, Manheim Township. This piece was first published here, the LancasterSpeaksUp.com blog, on July 1, 2021 with permission from the author. It has been submitted to LancasterOnline/LNP for consideration as a Letter to the Editor.
People are trying to get Critical Race Theory (CRT) banned from being taught in school districts (even though schools can’t teach this since it isn’t a “training” but a way of questioning the role of race and racism in society). People are worried that if CRT is discussed in the classroom, white children will be made to feel guilty. Some people believe CRT promotes masturbation and homosexuality (even though it’s about race, not sex). After researching CRT, I have to admit, I don’t understand why white people are against it.
CRT states that racism is a social construct, not the result of individual bias or prejudice, but something embedded in legal systems and policies. For white people, this should be good news! It basically says that you, as a white individual, are NOT responsible for the racism inherent in the prevalent systems of our country. Individual people are not at fault unless they currently engage in racist behavior (eg. part of the KKK, Unite Evropa, QAnon, etc.).
Now that you know that you, personally, are not responsible for the racism in the USA, what are you going to do about it? If you fight against CRT – you’re basically saying that you WANT racism to be the responsibility of individuals and not of systems. Is that what you really want? The choice is yours. Just make sure you really know what CRT is before you decide. Otherwise, your behavior will make you responsible for the very ideals you are fighting against.
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