OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
A group of African-American political leaders recently expressed their outrage about Republican-led efforts to enforce voter ID laws, banned critical race theory in schools, and end affirmation action.
Nicole Austin-Hillery, president & CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, said these initiatives are rooted in “a racist view of America, and they all depend on misinformation and often downright deceit.”
She continued, “The attacks on our democracy are happening on all fronts.”
One particular issue brought up was the country-wide push against the teaching of critical race theory in schools.
Britannica defines CRT as the following: “Race is not a natural, biologically grounded feature of physically distinct subgroups of human beings but a socially constructed (culturally invented) category that is used to oppress and exploit people of colour.”
“Critical race theorists hold that racism is inherent in the law and legal institutions of the United States insofar as they function to create and maintain social, economic, and political inequalities between whites and nonwhites, especially African Americans.”
One of the leading developers of CRT, professor Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, said the fight against CRT is one piece of a greater attack on Black History.
“We have to recognize that what we’re fighting for right now is not just the next election or the election after that,” Crenshaw stated. “We’re fighting for our right to be here for the rest of this century and beyond.”
The Caucus pointed to the 18 states that they feel have restrained teaching on race, highlighting the efforts of Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
Several other leaders expressed the need to unite against other issues as well, including the end of affirmative action, and what they believe are efforts to make voting more difficult in Black communities in particular.