By Kennedy Moore, High School Senior • IDRA Newsletter • September 2022 •
Over the last couple of years, the buzzword “CRT” (critical race theory) has been circling the political stage due to propagandized fear of indoctrination. Many people, including several policymakers, have deemed CRT as a political agenda aimed to corrupt the minds of students to be anti-white and anti-American.
The fault of this argument lies in the question of what they fear is “anti-American.” Is it realizing that this country has oppressed and participated in heinous acts that they need to actively take accountability for? Or, is it the realization that this country is rooted in a system that works off the backs of people of color since the original constitution was made?
If lawmakers are truly concerned about the well-being of students in their school system, then this teaching needs to be embraced. A well-rounded education is a critical part of being a successful student and being human. With the implementation of CRT, we have to remain cognizant and remind students that this is yet another worldview and another lens to view history and systems.
Take the action now to push the envelope, create an education that feeds and grows students’ cravings for knowledge, and sit back and watch.
Equipping students with several paradigms, including the Eurocentric view that has been maintained as a textbook staple, allows for students to come to their own opinions on their terms. Many perspectives develop contextual thinking, agency and individuality – traits that all educators can agree are prominent in world changers! With this inclusion, we are pushing the rigor of learning consistently upward.
Though CRT is primarily used for collegiate-level legal theory, it doesn’t mean that K-12 students and teachers have to be censored from learning about key concepts in history and current events.
The consistent underestimation of students hinders them from embracing their agile minds that are malleable and hungry for knowledge and information. The current state of the digital world – from the creation of Facebook to the monetization of social media platforms to breaking the glass ceiling of the stock market and investment firm exclusivity – are all testaments of this hunger. Depriving students of an expansive education is a disservice to every single person on Earth. With the proper prioritization of culturally responsive teaching, teacher re-education, and well-run training, the possibilities are endless for the young minds of this country.
Take the action now to push the envelope, create an education that feeds and grows students’ cravings for knowledge, and sit back and watch. It truly boils down to if you are willing to take the initiative to start it.
A high school senior, Kennedy Moore is a member of IDRA’s 2022 Youth Advisory Board from Frisco, Texas.
[©2022, IDRA. This article originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of the IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Permission to reproduce this article is granted provided the article is reprinted in its entirety and proper credit is given to IDRA and the author.]
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