CRiTical Race Information Theory as Innovative Pedagogy, Act Two: Still Harder Than You Think, and It Remains a Beautiful Thing

Abstract

This counterstory began with “CRiTical Race Information Theory as Innovative Pedagogy, Act One: Harder Than You Think, It's a Beautiful Thing.” In the first act, the authors introduced Critical Race information Theory (CRiT) as a rapidly developing iteration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) applied within information settings. The first act also introduced the CRiT frameworks and tenets as well as the CRiT's three-dimensional infrastructure: CRiT as pedagogy, CRiT as praxis, and CRiT as theory (including the process and nuances of theory building). In this article, the authors transition from the first act's “What is CRiT?” discussion to the second act's discussion of how to “Make it CRiT.” Whereas act one covered an approximately 15-year period, this second act moves at a more rapid pace, primarily because it covers a shorter period of time (2021–2023). In act two, the CRiT as pedagogy setting changes from the context of the pilot course launched within the Department of Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles to CRiT as pedagogy providing two offerings to Dominican University's School of Information Studies foundational course electives in its ALA-accredited curriculum. Before concluding, the second act offers inspiration and encouragement both to those who offer their critical race work as expressions of transformative, difference-making contributions and to those who aspire to develop and then offer their critical race creations.