Critical Race Theory And Method : Counter Storytelling

Although the article has good points, the article did not mention solutions for the struggles, challenges, and dilemmas of African American students on campus and the future trajectory for African American studies. I know that it is very difficult to predict what changes will be in the future for the trajectory of the African American Studies program. However, the article did bring insight for other researchers as an “opportunity to cultivate solidarity and sharpen and update its analysis of racism in the United States” (p 235).

One common theme throughout the reading is that “…systemic racist attitudes and negative depictions of people of colour by whites persist” (Feagin & Elias, 2013, p. 937). The historical trajectory of research methods are deeply rooted with systemic forms of racism, which is reflected in literature that was published centuries ago and can still be found in current literature today. Some of the articles that were assigned reference opinions and other forms of literature that state that white Americans believe that race and racism are a thing of the past, while others continue

The overarching theme of critical race theory is centered on race and racism, however in higher education, critical race scholars recognize that racial identity and this form of oppression (racism) intersects with other subordinated identities (such as gender, class, religion, ability/disability, sexual orientation, etc.) and forms of oppression (sexism, homophobia, ableism, etc.) to influence People of Color’s lived experiences (Bartlett & Brayboy, 2005; Brayboy 2005; Kumasi, 2011; Lynn & Adams, 2002; Solórzano & Yosso, 2001). This means that in higher education, critical race theory challenges the dominate discourse on race and racism as it relates to educational theory, policy and practice (Solórzano, 1998).

Race is a particularly powerful way of maintaining the dominance of the social group in power. The construct of race is about stratification, which puts a racially justified hierarchy among people in society to keep the dominant social group in power. Stratification can influence the resources an individual receives. Therefore, social workers sometimes use a theoretical approach called, Critical Race Theory (CRT), to guide their work in making certain general assumptions about issues of power, race, ethnicity, and racism. This is because CRT is an alternative theory that offers a radical lens to make sense of racial inequality in society, which could prove useful when analyzing a client’s situation. The

The idea of racism has evolved and has become less prevalent throughout the last century. Schools and public areas are unsegregated, voting rights, racial slurs being considered as unacceptable behavior etc. American sociologist and race theorist, Howard Winant states that’s “The ensuing approaches increased recognition of racial injustice and inequality, but did not overcome the discriminatory processes” (Winant,2000)Although the United states has come a long way to try to end racism, one cannot ignore the fact that it still exists. It is something that may seem invisible in society, but everybody knows that it still thrives and that it’s racial attitudes affect the way our society functions. One of these invisible forms of

Delgado, Stefancic, and Liendo (2012) discuss the term colorblind as a representation of this concept of ordinariness as related to the critical race theory. Colorblindness is a suggestion that one does not see the color of another’s skin. This concept of not being able to see another’s color, would also suggest the one does not see the persons struggles as the relate to race and inequality. Suggesting that one does not see race also suggest that one thinks that we are all treated equally and no changes are required to even at the field for all races. If you cannot see race, you cannot see racial discrimination. The issue of colorblindness enables casting director to cast whites in the roles that are written for ethnic minorities. Martin Luther King’s statement above implies that in such cases minorities have to remove the vail of colorblindness. When colorblindness is used to continue to oppress, it

Systemic oppression requires great scrutiny in order to critically analyze the elements that underlie the complex and impactful process. Furthermore, it is imperative to examine its relation with the governing ideology of the white dominated capitalist society of North America. Through this framework, racism is transformed into an implicit, or symbolic form, which functions outside the parameters of legality and condemnation (Bona-Silva, 1997); ), generating a paradigm where explicitly racist attitudes are fostered and are allowed to surface into society. Consequently, racism enforces the deprivation of status and power of visible minorities, allowing the power and privilege of the dominant group to remain unchallenged (Chaney & Robertson,

Despite changes in the landscape for treatment of ethnic minorities in the United States over the past 200 years, issues with racism has never stopped being an issue and continues to tarnish and tatter the very fabric of our nation. There has been a history of violence against Black people that dates back 400 years, to a time when the first slave was forcefully brought here to the USA (Rogers, 2015). From that time on, people of African descent have been dehumanized and treated as second-class citizens and this has become an ongoing community issue (Diversi, 2016). Racial classification was created as a way to condone slavery and maintain the primacy of the white race (Tolliver, Hadden, Snowden, & Manning, 2016). Aymer (2016) explains that the Critical Race Theory (CRT) provides a way to understand that the violence that Blacks face in America originates from the societal belief in White superiority and, when trying to understand the Black reality, centuries of racial oppression must be discussed (Aymer, 2016). CRT acknowledges that racism is primarily a problem in America and has contributed to the social disparities in the U.S. In addition, it notes other forms of oppression that are important to discuss and work through. CRT does not believe in the legal rhetoric that there is an impartial, equal way of dealing with individuals in the community that has nothing to do with color and everything to do with achievement and hard work. It also takes on an interdisciplinary

‘‘CRT begins with an a number of basic insticts. One is that racism is normal, not abberrant, in American society. Because racism is an ingrained feature of our landscape, it looks ordinary and natural to persons in the culture. Formal equal opportunity – rules and laws that insist on treating blacks and whites (for example) alike – can thus remedy only the more extreme and shocking forms of injustice, the ones that do stand out. It can do little about the business-as-usual forms of racism that people of color confront every day and that account for much misery, alienation, and despair’’ (Delgado & Stefanic, 2000: xvi).

An intelligent Black boy, who dumbs himself down to avoid criticism. The Hispanic girl who stays at home to take care of her family, instead of going to school. The Asian who pursues a career in medicine, despite wanting to be an actor. All of these strange actions can be explained by the Critical Race Theory. In short, the Critical Race Theory examines how victims of racism and stereotypes counter prejudice. Under the Critical Race Theory falls stereotype threat in which victims assume the roles that they think are prescribed for them based on popular stereotypes. The aim of stereotype threat and the Critical Race Theory is to explain both negative and positive ways minorities are effected by their race and how this reflected in our society as a whole.

Caedyn Gertken HIST 109 Misuse of Power The definition of racism is slightly controversial but is important to study in order to get a better understanding of race in America. This is not to say that racism is not an issue in America. This is to say that, with the exception of a very small minority of people, racism exists and is recognized as a concept. The definition of racism as a misuse of power by institutions shows that racism is bigger than an individual person’s attitudes.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1963) These words from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr famous I have a dream speech still echoes in the minds of people all over the world today. Unfortunately, these dreams he had for not only his children but the children of the world did not come true for all.

The role of Critical Race Theory provides us with the idea of “racial realism”, the idea that racism, the normalcy of white supremacy is part of the everyday life of an ‘other’, in other words, racial or indigenous minorities in Canada. Consequently, the Critical Race Theory gives an understanding of the power that can be given to a definition such as ‘race’, and how heavily influence the way society functions and sparked in a cultural divide in Canada due to the simple idea that biological and aesthetic difference. The Critical Race Theory gives us the understanding of how common it is for an individual, but most dominantly, a person who is Caucasian or who has light complexion can easily identifies with their ‘race’, and view a person of another colored complexion as an ‘other’ because this normalized.

Based on the themes of Critical Race Theory, it is believed that all groups in American society are affected by racism, often unintentionally. Again, theorists that agree with this idea argue that racism is engrained in American culture and society. You could go as far as relating Critical Race theory to Social learning theory. According to the article, Social Learning Theory, Social learning theory is defined “The social learning theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling

Critical race theory “ is an academic discipline focused upon the application of critical theory a critical examination of society and culture, to the intersection of race, law, and power. Critical race theory is often associated with many of the controversial issues involved in the pursuit of equality issues related to race and ethnicity” ( Luis Tyson). The movement is loosely unified by two common themes. First, proposes that white supremacy and racial power are maintained over time, and in particular, that the past may play a role. Because of the experiences of slavery, most slaves repressed these memories in an attempt to forget the past. “This repression from the past causes a fragmentation of the self and a loss of true identity. Sethe, Paul D. and Denver all experience this loss of self, which could only be remedied by the acceptance of the past and the memory of their original identities. Beloved serves to remind these characters of their repressed memories, eventually causing the reintegration of themselves” (Sparknotes). Toni Morrison’s Beloved goes into the individual story that was captive, and their human responses to slavery through their voices. “The manipulation of language and its controlled absence reinforces the mental enslavement that persists after individuals are freed from physical bondage” (Emily Clark). Reading through a critical race lense in the novel Beloved, by Toni Morrison, the experience of minorities have given Sethe, Paul D, Baby Suggs, and