What Do So-Called Critical Race Theory Bans Say?

Abstract

In the wake of racial justice protests in the United States, many states adopted policies to constrain the discussion of racism, particularly contemporary and systemic racism, in K-12 classrooms. Discursively framed as “critical race theory bans,” these policies enumerate lists of “prohibited concepts” to be eliminated from classroom instruction and curriculum materials. This brief document analysis provides an overview of first-wave prohibited concepts policies among the states to adopt such policies during the 2020-2022 legislative sessions. The analysis summarizes the prohibited concepts, teaching practices that remain allowed, and the nature of the prohibitions.