Republicans are going all-in with their battle against “critical race theory.” For the Party of Insurrection, critical race theory is a catch-all for anything they don’t like. It’s a lot like “cancel culture” and worrying about who uses what bathroom.
In reality, critical race theory is a once fairly obscure academic term that refers to the study of institutional racism and how it impacts our laws and policies. But never mind that, there is a Culture War to fight and there are elections to be won. Onward! On the march, to the War on Critical Race Theory!
Glenn Youngkin came out strong for “parental rights” and advocated banning Toni Morrison books in schools. After his win in the Virginia governor’s race, Republicans on a national scale have latched onto what must be his winning formula. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy announced he was about to unveil a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” and other leading Republicans continued to furiously tweet about the evils of critical race theory.
Meanwhile, unless you happen to be an eight-year-old taking an advanced college class, critical race theory is still not a thing that is taught in schools.