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Week 4 Post Reply 2
Alexander Sheidu posted Sep 5, 2024 19:34
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Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a framework that examines the ways race and racism intersect with politics, culture, and society. It argues that racism is not merely a matter of individual bias but is embedded in legal systems, policies, and social institutions. CRT challenges the traditional liberal belief in incremental progress and neutrality, asserting that systemic inequality is deeply rooted in historical structures of power (Reed et al., 2022). It focuses on the role of law and policy in maintaining racial hierarchies, which perpetuate inequality across various aspects of life, including education and income.
CRT can explain inequalities in education by highlighting how systemic racism shapes educational policies and outcomes. For example, schools in predominantly Black or Hispanic neighborhoods often receive less funding, which directly impacts the quality of education (Reed et al., 2022). Additionally, biased standardized testing and disciplinary practices disproportionately affect students of color, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage. The Aspen Institute (2016) defines structural racism as a system in which public policies, institutional practices, and cultural norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity. These systemic issues create barriers to equal educational opportunities, which in turn limit economic mobility for marginalized groups.
In terms of income inequality, CRT explains that economic disparities are not simply due to individual effort or skill but are the result of historically entrenched racial disparities in wealth and opportunity. Kochhar and Cilluffo (2018) found that income inequality has risen dramatically within racial and ethnic groups, with Black and Hispanic families disproportionately affected. This is due to structural factors, such as discriminatory housing policies, unequal access to quality jobs, and a lack of generational wealth among communities of color, which CRT highlights as products of long-standing racial hierarchies that continue to shape economic outcomes. Similarly, Bapuji and Chrispal (2020) argue that economic inequality should be viewed through a lens that recognizes historical and social structures, such as caste and race, which create systemic barriers to wealth and opportunity. These entrenched systems create long-lasting economic divides that persist across generations.
In conclusion, CRT provides a powerful lens for understanding how systemic racism perpetuates inequality in various sectors of society, particularly education and income distribution. By emphasizing that racial inequality is embedded in the structures and institutions that shape everyday life, CRT shifts the focus from individual responsibility to the broader systemic forces at play. This theoretical framework argues that policies and practices that appear race-neutral often have disproportionately negative impacts on marginalized groups, further entrenching inequality. For example, funding disparities in education, discriminatory housing policies, and wage gaps are not random occurrences but are linked to historical and ongoing forms of racial discrimination. CRT also urges society to examine the ways in which power is distributed and how these power dynamics maintain racial hierarchies that serve the interests of dominant groups. By bringing attention to these structural inequalities, CRT provides the tools necessary to advocate for meaningful reforms in policy and practice.
References
Aspen Institute. (2016).
11 terms you should know to better understand structural racism. Retrieved from
Bapuji, H., & Chrispal, S. (2020). Understanding economic inequality through the lens of caste.
Journal of Business Ethics, 162(2), 533–551.
Kochhar, R., & Cilluffo, A. (2018).
Key findings on the rise in income inequality within America’s racial and ethnic groups. Pew Research Center.
Reed, E., Figueroa, E., & Carpenter, M. (2022). What Critical Race Theory is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Is Important, You Should Know: A Call to Action.
Research Issues in Contemporary Education, 7(2), 112–127.
