Tenets Of Critical Race Theory Research Articles

Hospitality, Self-Determination, and Black Refugee Students in Manitoba

A large number of refugees come to Canada every year, supporting the government’s claims that they are encouraging of “cultural diversity.” Nonetheless, the pervasiveness of racism and the paucity of research focused on the intersectional identity of Black refugee students raises several concerns, especially in light of the White savior myth that is embedded in a White society like Canada. Based on the ethic of hospitality, self-determination theory, and the tenets of critical race theory, this case study explored the hospitality of K–12 schools for Black refugee students in Manitoba. Through the voices of five students, this research demonstrates how students’ needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competency were often threatened by racist (in)actions of teachers and classmates, thus negatively impacting their educational experience.

Examining Literature Through Tenets of Critical Race Theory: A Pedagogical Approach for the ELA Classroom

In this article, the authors present a qualitative study focused on preservice teachers employing a framework using tenets of critical race theory (CRT)—permanence of racism, experiential knowledge and counter-storytelling, interest convergence, and critique of liberalism—in literature study. Drawing on critical English education, critical race English education, and CRT, the proposed framework integrates key tenets of CRT with literature in classrooms. Our findings demonstrated engagement by preservice teachers in identification, analysis, and reflection of CRT tenets in texts. This framework has the potential to provide a tool for students and teachers in K-12 schools to connect tenets of CRT to their knowledge of society and race in the texts they read.

Critical Race Theory in English Language Education

Racism is still exercised in various social, political and academic spheres and remains to be deconstructed by constituting new discourses. One of these deconstructive discourses has been critical race theory which can be regarded as a productive realm where the oppressed individuals or communities have found the opportunity to address socio-political issues and take collective action where necessary. This study aims to incorporate critical race theory, critical antiracist pedagogy, radical pedagogy, critical consciousness and critical resistance into ELT, EFL and ESL settings and curricula since whiteness and white supremacy have been the dominant discourses in the west perceiving whiteness as Self and blackness as Other. A civil society organization, The Critical Resistance Organization, shown as an example of collective action, was introduced to emphasize how the black movement could produce meaningful changes in a given society. ELT departments in Turkey can adopt an inclusive educational policy and radical pedagogy by taking the issue of racism into consideration to open room for a more liberal, equal and just society. The normalizing discourses regarding whiteness ought to be criticized and displaced by adopting the tenets of critical race theory.

Theory as the “North Star”: An Introduction to Race Theories for Music Education

To date, multiple U.S. states have passed legislation banning the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) and limiting teaching related to race, gender, CRT, and privilege under the umbrella term “divisive concepts.” Against this backdrop, I argue that while CRT is not taught in schools, as a theory, it provides a crucial analytical and pedagogical tool to music teachers who often grapple with racially charged situations in the classroom. I introduce tenets of CRT and antiracism and make an argument for the use of these theories to orient pedagogy.

Perspective: Decolonizing postmodernist approaches to mental health discourse toward promoting epistemic justice.

Currently, it is possible to observe a slowly (but surely) growing volume of claims seeking to disprove Foucauldian ideas about knowledge and power as overlapping basic theories of epistemic justice. Prompted by these claims, alongside adopting tenets of Critical Race Theory to address injustices inflicted upon people facing mental health challenges, I propose applying decolonizing deconstruction to Foucault's terminology, toward identifying opportunities to enhance epistemic justice, primarily in direct interventions in mental health services.

Impact of Potential Changes in US Immigration Policies on Distress and Mental Health of Latinx College Students

ABSTRACT US President Donald Trump promised and delivered radical changes to US immigration policies. This study examined the extent to which a sample of college students were affected by such changes and subsequent associations with psychological health. The study was a survey of 401 college students from a large Hispanic Serving Institution. A total of 71% of participants reported being at least “a little bit” affected by potential changes in US immigration policies, and 43% were affected “quite a bit” or “very much.” Latinx people were significantly more affected than other ethnicities. Importantly, increases in being affected were significantly related to increases in depression, general distress, distress specific to immigration issues, financial stress, and insomnia. These findings suggest that the impact of potential and/or actual changes in US immigration policies may lead to a number of mental health consequences for college students, particularly Latinx students. These findings are also consistent with the tenets of critical race theory regarding the harmful effects of societal structures, processes, and systems on members of marginalized ethnic/racial groups.

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Hate Speech among Editors of Daily Trust, The Nation and The Guardian Newspapers in Nigeria

All over the world, hate speech represents a form of threat to damage the lives of individuals and increase the sense of fear in entire communities. Scholars have aligned with the description that it is a globally-endorsed paradigm that the press as an important institution in the democratic process plays a key role during elections. As the Fourth Estate of the Realm, the press provides the platform for narratives and discourses in the service of elections, political negotiations, and other features of the contestations among politicians and other civil organisations involved in election administration. However, problems associated with election reporting and media role in political contestations and machinations, particularly on the African continent, have been a recurrent clog in the wheel of politics in Africa. For instance, in Nigeria, since the 1950s up to the early 1980s, spiraling into the Fourth Republic that started in 1999 and beyond, several election problems that were rooted in perceived mishandling of the electoral process by the media has occurred in the country. The 1965 parliamentary and 1983 general elections were faced by conflicts with accompanying widespread violence, which resulted in military interventions. Within this context, the study adopts an interpretative phenomenological analysis with editors of Daily Trust, The Nation, and The Guardian newspapers in relation to the reportage of the 2015 and 2019 general elections in Nigeria. The theoretical tenets of Critical Race Theory serve the study goal. Nine Editors were purposively selected for an in-depth interview. Arising from the interview, the study discovered that there are implications of hate speech on the professional journalistic practice as it undermines the ethics of the journalism profession. The study recommends that as gatekeepers of the content, editors should engage in checking and cross-checking of facts as a guiding principle in the professional journalistic practice in Nigeria.

Challenging Anti-Black Racism in HBSE: Using Critical Race Theory to Interrogate Traditional Developmental Paradigms

ABSTRACT How do we challenge anti-Black racism within the social work curriculum? As a requirement of all BSW and MSW programs, Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) coursework provides students with foundational knowledge about human development that is essential to theory-driven social work practice. Traditionally, conceptions of human development center the experiences of white, heterosexual, cis-gender young people and label other identities as “divergent” or “diverse,” thereby devaluing the lived experiences of marginalized populations and reducing disparities to a misjudged application of “equal opportunity.” Centering the tenets of critical race theory (CRT) within HBSE course curricula enables us to examine the impact of race and racism upon human development and to challenge anti-Black racism. This article will expand commonly used frameworks (e.g., ecological systems theory, life course theory) to consider how CRT helps us understand the impact of race and racism on human development, and specifically on the development of Black youth. We explore recent frameworks that center Black youth’s experiences and highlight the impact of racial stress and trauma on development from infancy to adolescence. Five social work educators of an MSW HBSE course offer examples of class activities and assignments that enabled students to apply CRT to HBSE topics.

Enlighten me: teaching social justice in further and higher education by reclaiming philosophically liberal values – a social work education case study

ABSTRACT This article suggests that traditional, liberal values that comprise the broad value consensus of most western democracies may be at risk of erosion, especially in further and higher education settings. The factors that may be contributing to their devaluation include: the down-grading of belief in unique individualism and common humanity in favour of reified group identity, the erosion of the importance of ‘liberal science’ or a liberal definition of what constitutes knowledge, the supplanting of economic social justice concerns with identity matters, and the erosion of free speech. These developments are related to the promotion of a certain type of postmodern social justice critical theory, typified by critical race theory (CRT), and this article will explore their impact on education. Tenets of CRT, as espoused by mainstream writers, will be summarised and contrasted with liberal values to illustrate the concerns raised. In the example of social work education, the case is made that postmodern critical social work can be co-opted by ‘progressive neoliberalism’ and the punitive approach to ‘undeserving’ groups that this entails. Awareness of this concerning development is very important in the education of future professionals in any of the human services. The article concludes that liberal principles should be robustly reclaimed within social work and further and higher education more broadly.

Chicana/o/x Educational Pipelines as Critical Race Heuristics: Tools for Pedagogy, Politicization, and Praxis

Background/Context: Since 2005, critical race theory (CRT) scholars have crafted educational pipelines that compare educational attainment across racial groups in the United States. These visual models offer concise pictorial narratives about the discrepancies that fall along racial lines, particularly the underperformance of Chicana/o/x students over the last two decades. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This article conceptualizes educational pipelines comparing the educational attainment of Chicana/o/x, White, Black, Asian, and Native students as critical race heuristics, or exegetic visual instruments and pedagogical tools used by CRT scholars to concisely depict structural inequities predicated on racial hierarchies. Critical race heuristics elicit understandings of systemic oppression, foster critical awareness, and inspire action. Population/Participants/Subjects: There were more than 100 participants in 16 focus groups, and 10 individual interviews were conducted. Research Design: This qualitative study relied on a critical race-grounded theory methodology. Data Collection and Analysis: Data were responses to the question, “If you could show this pipeline to anyone, who would it be and why?” Each researcher separately analyzed the data, then compared emerging patterns and observations in several rounds, drawing on tenets of CRT to inform their analysis. Findings/Results: Participant responses revealed how the heuristic prompted: (a) a conscientization about the factors contributing to the disparities, (b) a call for various forms of praxis to remedy the disparities made apparent by the image, and (c) an appreciation for the simplicity of the image to convey educational inequities. Conclusion/Recommendations: The critical race heuristic enabled participants to articulate a keen awareness of the institutional factors predicated along racial lines that result in disparities between Chicana/o/x students and other racial groups. Moreover, it motivated participants’ desire for intervention, as they conceived of various strategies, tactics, and policies that might abate the pressures that limit the educational attainment of Chicana/o/x students. Our findings give insight regarding how the critical race heuristic could teach preservice teachers, teachers, and administrators about entrenched race-based inequities; motivate faculty and administrators to work toward narrowing the gaps between racial groups; or anchor workshops for students of color in bridge programs, college preparatory programs, retention programs, and leadership training programs that would help them chart a course for educational success.

Tracking the early stages of the disciplinary gaze among students experiencing childhood adversities

ABSTRACT The effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on children are often misinterpreted in schools as misbehavior and can impact students’ academic progress. We explore how the intersection of race and ACEs make students of color hypervisible and more likely to enter the school discipline pathway. Using tenets of critical race theory and the concept of the disciplinary gaze; we found that children of color, experiencing complex trauma, had 1.85 times the odds of receiving a call home (surveilled) for problems at school compared to their White counterparts. Implications for trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices are discussed.

White imagination, Black reality: recentering critical race theory in critical whiteness studies

This essay uses the concept of the white imaginary to reflect on Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) in education. It examines the field’s value but also its limitations, specifically its preoccupation with converting white people as the solution to systemic racism. The conversion approach ignores the fuller structural nature of whiteness and often privileges the needs and wants of white people over people of color. The essay argues that to better serve Black students and educators, CWS must stay connected to the central tenets of Critical Race Theory and aligned with approaches rooted in the racial knowledge of people of color, such as work on Black genius.

Navigating Contentious Times in Rural Education

In this introductory article to the special issue, the guest editors situate the articles of the issue within the current contentious climate surrounding critical race theory (CRT). They first provide a background and summary of the major tenets of CRT then apply those tenets to current legislation aimed at banning CRT in schools. They then situate the current backlash against CRT within a history of resistance to racial justice efforts in schools. The editors explain their stance on the current issue of CRT and then substantiate their position with evidence from the articles within the special issue. The conclusions they draw are that CRT is a valuable and applicable theoretical tool in schools and education research.

RACISM TOWARDS AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AS REFLECTED IN MAYA ANGELOU’S I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS: BLACK AESTHETIC CRITICISM

The study of the African American community always circulates among the issues of race, racism, discrimination, slavery, and oppression. All these issues become the grand themes of African American literature. These literary works could be studied and covered under the scope of Black Aesthetic criticism. One of the prominent works of African American literature is an autobiography of Maya Angelou entitled I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). This autobiography portrays Angelou’s childhood experiences which brings up the issues of race, racism, and oppression. This paper aims to analyze the kinds of racism experienced by the African American community and their struggle against it as depicted in the book. To provide a thorough discussion of the matter, critical race theory was employed as the method of analysis. The result is drawn based on the basic tenets of critical race theory proposed by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic (2001); everyday racism, interest convergence, the social construction of race, differential realization, intersectionality, and voice of Color. The findings show the struggle of African American community against racism which are expressed through the act of ignorance, promoting intelligence, communal efforts, resistance, promoting social movement, and stepping forward to voice their experience through African American literature.

To Shield or Not to Shield? There Should Be No Question-Black African Social Workers Experiences during COVID-19 in England.

Using three tenets of Critical Race Theory as the analytical lens, namely, counter story-telling, everyday racism and whiteness as privilege, this qualitative study examined the experiences of twenty Black African social workers during the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in England. The findings suggest that there was a different and often less favourable application of the rules and policies for Black African social workers in relation to COVID-19 and in comparison to their White peers. In addition, Black African social workers expressed frustration about the inadequacy of risk assessments undertaken to gauge the level of risk posed by continuous engagement with service users. A strong recommendation for culturally responsive leadership is made alongside the need for managers, supervisors and employers to become allies to their staff from Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds.

Cultural Responsiveness Curriculum for Behavior Analysts: A Meaningful Step Toward Social Justice.

Clients of applied behavior analysis (ABA), specifically Black, Indigenous, and people of color receiving treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), regularly experience the effects of systemic racism via biases in the health care system. ABA as a science offers the necessary tools to support immediate, concrete actions to bring about social justice. This article offers a brief conceptual framework of critical race theory (CRT); cultural competence, responsiveness, and humility; and social justice concepts. Applications to health care are offered, addressingincluding systemic racism and implicit bias, along with points of personal reflection. These conceptual frameworks are synthesized in support of a cultural responsiveness curriculum, rooted in the tenets of CRT and cultural competence trainings in neighboring disciplines, that we offer as an immediate, actionable step that Board Certified Behavior Analysts can take today to broaden their perspective and proficiency. The prospective benefits of this work include effecting change in access to and outcomes of behavior-analytic services, particularly for the treatment of ASD in marginalized communities.

Critical race comics: Centering black subjectivities and teaching racial literacy

This article seeks to explore the complexities of Black subjectivities as written and illustrated by comic book creators of color who wrestle with the enigmatic qualities of blackness as they write within and beyond racial imaginaries and social realities. I call these works “critical race comics” to highlight their explicit engagement with the ubiquity of race and racism and other tenets of critical race theory in education. Critical race comics teach through onto-epistemological explorations of blackness and by centering the black gaze in ways that foster humanizing racial discourse in classrooms, develop racial literacy in readers, and contribute to antiracist pedagogy. As such, I position critical race comics as pop culture and curriculum as they reflect larger literary, artistic, and social movements for racial justice in America (e.g. Antislavery, Reconstruction, New Negro, Civil Rights, Black Power, Hip-Hop, and #BlackLivesMatter).

Deconstructing Racialized Experiences in Healthcare: What a Missed Opportunity for Healing Looks Like and Healthcare Resources for Children and Their Families.

Some patients and families of color, including Asian Americans, face significant adverse stressors due to living within a White-dominant society. Xenophobia and racism can impact health. Research evidence points to early exposure to adverse childhood experiences such as racial discrimination as being detrimental and having significant short-term and long-term impact on physical and mental health. The purpose of this commentary article is to illuminate the need of patients and their families who may seek health care providers (HCPs) to express their concerns and fears when issues of xenophobia and racism arise. Patients and families need space in a healthcare setting to feel heard and understood. Anti-Asian xenophobia and racism among medically underserved Asian Americans persists and has been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe tenets of Critical Race Theory and AsianCrit, and use this lens to understand an example actual scenario, a counter-story, of a Vietnamese mother, and her Vietnamese-Chinese American family’s experience with xenophobia and racism at a community recreation center and the subsequent communication of this experience with a HCP. We describe the impacts of these experiences of seeking healing including discontinuity of a HCP-patient-family relationship. It takes bravery for patients and families to tell their story of xenophobia and racism to a HCP. There are Asian Americans who are afraid to seek healthcare because of anti-Asian xenophobia and concerns about White fragility. Following, we highlight research evidence on implicit bias, also known as unconscious bias, as context about its persistent and widespread existence among healthcare professionals in general and the need to address this in healthcare. Implicit bias can influence care provided to a patient-family and the interactions between a HCP-patient-family. We include additional resources such as those from the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, American Psychological Association Office on Children Youth and Families, the Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs, the Office on Socioeconomic Status, and American Academy of Pediatrics to consider in support of equity in healthcare practice of children and their families.

Achieving Health Equity by Addressing Legacies of Racial Violence in Public Health Practice

Health equity means that everyone, regardless of their abilities, economic status, or race/ethnicity, has the opportunity to reach their optimal level of health. However, the inequitable distribution of resources, power, and privilege in the United States means that historically marginalized communities bear a disproportionate burden of poor health and disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded the problem for Black Americans: already bearing an unequal burden of social, economic, and health inequities and experiencing systemic racism in various sectors of American life, Black Americans have been at even greater risk of COVID-19 transmission and severity of the disease. I use critical race theory (CRT) to show how key social and historical factors fuel racial health inequities. Further, I use key tenets of CRT to argue that redressing historical legacies of racism cannot be done without using a critical, race conscious lens and lifting up the voices of Black people.

I Am Not Your Negro Movie Review: Critical Reflection and Discourse to Advance Social Equity

This article reviews I Am Not Your Negro, a documentary film based on Remember this House, an unfinished manuscript written by James Baldwin. I Am Not Your Negro is a critical film for any public service professional who impacts the lives and livelihoods of Black people in the United States. The critical nature of this film rests in the tragedy of lives lost in a quest for justice for Black people in the US. Baldwin’s conceptualization of “the Negro problem” is an ethical concern that undergirds a strong rationale to advance social equity in American society. Using the tenets of critical race theory, we argue public service personnel have an ethical duty to actively oppose racism, reject color-blind ideology, engage in critical reflection and discourse about justice and the denial of the American dream, and pursue social equity as a means of achieving justice for all.