I read and think about “critical race theory” a bunch because I’m a general turd with too much time on his hands, and this newsletter from Popular Information today is a pretty good rundown of how the whole thing is getting funded, even though it’s not entirely true. It’s a great “Culture Wars” talking point on the right, but most schools at the K-6 level aren’t discussing racism and white guilt. Rather, they’re hoping kids can maybe get to high school and be able to read a chapter of a book. Don’t believe me? I taught in the inner city for a minute. I’m hip to the game.
Here’s what I don’t understand: if you are a right-leaning parent, and this stuff terrifies you so much that you need to bring it up at dinner parties and share it on your Facebook and all that, well … like … uh … how are you parenting, then? Wouldn’t you be able to talk to your kids about these same issues? Either drill ’em on the narrative you prefer, or let them see both sides of what people are arguing?
Schools are one portion — and honestly, a smaller portion than we openly admit — of how a kid gets beliefs and ideology. Parents and grandparents and interactions are much bigger. (“Primary caregivers.”) So if you’re concerned about critical race theory at a level that keeps you up at night, maybe just … be a more active parent?
