Critical Race Theory | Forward

I must admit that I am new to the concept of Critical Race Theory. My introduction to the topic was through the Founders Ministries video documentary entitled By What Standard? God's World...God's Rules. This can be viewed here: [https://founders.org/cinedoc/] One can also read An Anti-Racist Intention | A Critical Analysis of Resolution 9 by Tom Nettles.

I picked up the book, Critical Race Theory (Third Edition): An Introduction by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic. About the Author states that Richard Delgado is "one of the founders of critical race theory," so within these pages should be a fair understanding from one who subscribes to Critical Race Theory. 

Maybe, like me, you are new to Critical Race Theory. Perhaps you are well versed on the subject. Here you will find my thoughts on the discussion. To help locate the posts, the titles will begin with:

Critical Race Theory | 

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The Forward is written by Angela Harris, a "Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law." However, I am unfamiliar with the authors and Angela Harris.

She begins with 1982, as a graduate student in social science at the University of Chicago, then moves to 1983, as a first-year law student at the University of Chicago. This would say to me that she is an intelligent person. Someone who has had interaction with African, African American, Latino/a, South Asian, European (and other) persons. One who has protested and picketed over what they saw as injustices, and worked to give students of color more programs, resources and support on campus. 

She makes reference to her first-year as a law student at the University of Chicago as being: four African American students, two Latinos and one Asian American among around 180 students; having all white male professors, with the exception of two white females. I get the sense that she is very focused on race; at least in the Forward. 

As a note: When we focus on race, it can be easy to use it as a means to divide, marginalize or prefer one race over the other. It is no longer about the person, but rather the color of their skin in which we may find our assumptions (or presuppositions) to judge them (whether good or bad). No one gets to choose their color, race.

This paragraph on page xiv was interesting:

None of my professors talked about race or ethnicity; it was apparently irrelevant to the law. None of my professors in the first hear talked about feminism or the concerns of women, either. These concerns were also, apparently, irrelevant. Nowhere, in fact, did the cases and material we read address concerns of group inequality, sexual difference, or cultural identity. There was only one Law, a law that in its universal majesty applied to everyone without regard to race, color, gender, or creed.

My initial thought is: Do we not want "one Law, a law that in its universal majesty applied to everyone without regard to race, color, gender, or creed"? Can a law be honest, justified if it is applied differently based on a person's race, color, gender or creed? Maybe I misunderstand her point.

The Word of God states that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." [Romans 3:23] The laws of God are given and applied to everyone equally. There is not a different law or judgment for the man than the woman, or that differentiates between race. Sin is sin, whether by male or female, and regardless of race (which are all traced back to Noah). Just as in Christ, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." [Galatians 3:8]

Angela Harris writes that she felt something was missing. That something being "seemingly, no language in which to embark on a race-based, systematic critique of legal reasoning and legal instructions themselves." In 1989, she was invited to a workshop on "critical race theory" at St. Benedict Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Here she discovered what she believed she had been missing.

She writes, this book is "a primer for nonlawyers that makes the now sprawling literature of critical race theory easily accessible to the beginner." 

Critical race theory not only dares to treat race as central to the law and policy of the United States; it dares to look beyond the popular belief that getting rid of racism means simply getting rid of ignorance or encouraging everyone to "get along".

Let's begin.