Critical Race Theory - Controversies and Impact

Controversies and Impact

Critical race theory has stirred controversy since the 1980s over such issues as its deviation from the ideal of colorblindness, promotion of the use of narrative in legal studies, advocacy of "legal instrumentalism" as opposed to ideal-driven uses of the law, analysis of the Constitution and existing law as constructed according to and perpetuating racial power, and encouraging legal scholars to be partial on the side of ending racial subordination.

Conservative opponents of political appointees including Lani Guinier have included a general critique of critical race theory in their criticism of these figure's actions on racial issues.

Critics including George Will saw resonances between Critical Race Theory's use of storytelling and insistence that race poses challenges to objective judgments in the U.S. and the acquittal of O.J. Simpson.

In 2012, Matt de la Peña’s young adult novel Mexican WhiteBoy, about a boy who wants to grow up to become a baseball player, was banned from being taught in class and the Mexican-American studies program in Tucson, Arizona, was disbanded in part because of their connection to CRT, which was seen to be in violation of a recently passed state law that "prohibits schools from offering courses that 'advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals'."