THE WAR AGAINST REALITY:

1. What is critical race theory?

Critical race theory, or CRT, proposes that any analysis of American society must take into account its history of racism and the role race has played in shaping attitudes and institutions. In some ways, it can be seen as an extension of other academic approaches that developed in the 1970s and 80s, such as gender studies, that seek to investigate the power relationships embedded within laws and customs. Critical race theory often overlaps with discussions of systemic racism -- the ways policies, procedures and institutions work to perpetuate racial inequity even in the absence of personal racial animus.

2. What's an example? 

The typical White U.S. household has seven times the amount of wealth of the average Black one. That gap can be traced back to, among other things, the U.S. government's practice of "redlining" Black neighborhoods, ostensibly as poor credit risks, denying mortgages to many residents of those neighborhoods over four decades. The effects of that discrimination are still felt today, as home ownership has been the biggest source of wealth accumulation for the middle class.

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