To Our Community: The Attacks Against CRT

We are a society that has been structured from top to bottom by race. You don't get beyond that by deciding not to talk about it anymore. It will always come back; it will always reassert itself over and over again.

— Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw

To our community,

In the past year, we have witnessed blatant attacks on Critical Race Theory (CRT). We’ve heard or read headlines that incorrectly state that CRT threatens to harm our children if it is incorporated into their curriculum. This couldn’t be further from the truth as CRT is the lens through which parents, teachers and our elected officials should be structuring our curriculum in order to ensure that the voices of Black and Brown people continue to be heard and validated. Critical Race Theory is not about pitting our children against one another, as so many in the media would have you believe, but rather it seeks to highlight the root causes of institutionalized racism and its impact on our communities of color.

One of the most significant impacts of CRT is that it gives voice to oppressed groups, to African Americans, to marginalized communities. It does not emphasize silencing. Which is what we're seeing right now... [CRT is] a movement. It's a legacy of resistance. CRT is, in my opinion, here to stay, because you cannot silence the people who are committed to change.

— Dr. Kerry-Ann Escayg

Here at we are, we firmly commit to that change and push back against these attacks as they stand in complete opposition to what we hope to achieve as an organization. As advocates for increased anti-racist education, we are not only supports CRT as a pedagogical lens for schools but also works to increase resources for educators, parents/families and students to deepen their knowledge base of the theory and how it impacts our society.

We invite you to push back against these attacks with us. This is not a conversation for just one letter. Register for our townhall next month on December 14, 2021 for a session specifically focused on Critical Race Theory and consider attending our Let’s Talk Racism Conference on March 18-19, 2022 the theme of which is “Seeing Critical Race Theory in Our Schools: From Theory to Praxis.” We would also love to amplify your perspective on the topic! If you are interested in contributing a piece about Critical Race Theory please complete this form. Rest assured, we are will always be committed to this work and will continue to fight for justice, not only for ourselves but for our children of color for generations to come.

In Solidarity,

The we are Collective

#forthelonghaul