Critical Race Theory - Sketch & Tell by Valerie at EmpowerED Consulting

CRT

2025-04-22 05:22:56 UTC

I chose to draw a house to represent my understanding of Critical Race Theory because, like a house, CRT serves as a framework or structure that helps us examine how different parts of education are built and function.

A Lightbulb Moment

2025-04-23 00:22:07 UTC

I drew a picture of someone having a lightbulb moment. Learning about CRT can be a wake up call for a lot of people. Something that stood out to me in the video is how there may be a fear of people becoming aware of CRT as it brings up all the things we need to fix in society.

CRT

2025-04-23 04:07:31 UTC

CRT allows us a space and tool to help examine and "zoom in" on how race and racism has impacted the educational systems and how its been at the foundation and core of our government systems.

Critical Race Theory

2025-04-24 05:05:16 UTC

I chose a magnifying glass because CRT can serve as a lens where we take a closer look at how we talk about and respond to racism, both in education and in the wider world.

A Separation between CRT and Race in Education

2025-04-25 06:20:53 UTC

CRT stemmed from the fact that there have been laws and practices in place that promoted racial disparity instead of being truly neutral. Nowadays, it is conflated with how the concept of race is taught, and very little focus is actually put into teaching about the framework itself. According to Merriam Webster, conflating implies confusion, so my drawing is meant to show how teaching about race is currently being falsely combined with the idea that there are structures in place to promote inequality.

Scales of Justice

2025-04-28 01:28:37 UTC

The scale is balanced, representing CRT's aim to create an equal and just educational system where racial justice is not just a concept but an force in shaping classroom experiences. This visual emphasizes the need to ensure fairness, equitable representation, and a commitment to addressing racial disparities within educational system.

Strawman

2025-04-28 08:55:25 UTC

I drew a strawman because the video stated that a strawman argument is often used to misrepresent the theory. In distorting the theory of CRT it becomes easier to attack rather than entertain its ideas. Even if it doesn't lead to the theory being dismissed it may lead to confusion and misinformation. The video claims that this is being pushed by many who are on the right as a way to forward their own agenda.

Thinking Critically

2025-04-28 22:35:05 UTC

Many opponents to teaching CRT in schools argue that it is a form of "indoctrination," and Professor Carter addresses this in her interview when she talks about how CRT is often twisted and distorted in order to avoid addressing hard truths in our society. In reality, discussing CRT in the classroom helps us address systemic racism and provide students with a more accurate perspective on the state of our country.

Mirror

2025-04-28 22:42:07 UTC

I drew a funhouse mirror. I thought about it because CRT involves reflecting upon ourselves and our history. The way we have traditionally look at history and our society it has become warped outside of what is the reality. We may look at the imperfections in the reflection, but the reason why it's warped isn't because of how we personally are, but how the mirror was designed to begin with.

Fear > Understanding

2025-04-29 02:13:27 UTC

Conservative media outlets have twisted CRT and the term woke into a boogie man for many Americans. So much so that many people will not engage with topics that can be labeled as such. This has rendered any understanding of how past US policy has disproportionally impacts various groups as taboo. But it is essential for the causes to be understood so that solutions can be implemented. I take this cynically that those in power purposely do not want any remediation to occur, so they make sure people cannot be educated on the topics.

PERCHED ON HISTORY.

2025-04-29 04:39:54 UTC

Structural and institutional barriers are created over time, literally within the walls embedding law, education, and the justice system. The crow perched on top (his name is Jim) is the persistence of racism, having an ominous watchful presence over the structure that humankind has built. Looking behind the wall, through the lens of CRT, may reveal the hidden, normalized structures that it not seen at the surface level.

Stuck in a Cycle of Racism

2025-04-29 05:20:29 UTC

CRT reminds me that certain groups in America are stuck in this deadly cycle of racism where things don't change for them. Our government systems have that create "racial gaps" as said in the YouTube video. There are structures in our society that create these racial gaps. In the video she also talks about racial disparities economically that can happen from certain government systems and cycles that can trap certain demographics. I created this image to show we need to break that cycle where everything stays the same. Insanity is doing something over and over and expecting a different outcome. We need to break the cycle and disrupt these systems that are put in place for certain people to have a disadvantage.