CRT & Woke Quiz

One of the least intelligent political issues of all time is the anti-CRT and anti-Woke political movement. But given that it is a political issue, i thought a quiz would appropriate. [CRT is Critical Race Theory.]

What is CRT?
A] A group of white Nationalists who get together in groups to criticize other races.
B] A bunch of Republican politicians who have nothing else to run on so made it up as a political issues.
C] CRT, is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society.
D] CRT was used by Fox News to take attention off settling with Dominion Voting Systems for almost $800 Million Dollars to avoid going to court regarding the lies they promoted on air regarding the 2020 Presidential Election.
E] CRT is a conspiracy to make white children learn history.

What is Woke?
A] Something you do after you sleep.
B] Something for Republicans to be against since they cannot come with anything to be for.
C] Was started in the early to mid-1900s by Black Americans and means that someone is informed, educated and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality in our society.
D] Something to be against and used by Fox News because CRT was too hard to understand or explain.
E] Woke is a conspiracy to make white children learn history.

Though I suppose all five options be true, but the correct CRT answer is C. The concept of CRT is over 40 years old as an academic concept that emerged in the late 70’s into early 80’s by legal scholars Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Richard Delgadol to name a few. The core idea is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not just a result of individuals, but is and has historically been a part of legal systems and political policies.

One example is red lining which took place in the 1930s when government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. This led to banks refusing to offer mortgages to Black people in those areas. For most middle-income households, the foundation of their wealth is their residence. Black people did not have the option to accumulate wealth in this manner due to the inability to obtain credit to buy houses. This not only affected Black wealth at the time, but continues throughout today.

Brookings Institute did a study published in December, 2022 which found adjusted for neighborhood and type of residence, homes in black neighborhoods were undervalued compared to homes in white neighborhoods. If you are interested, Google home appraisals with black owners which were changed by different appraiser when it was made to appear the the house was owned by a white family.

Other examples include Jim Crow Laws which among other things, made it difficult for black people to vote. Police treatment of black men versus white men which has led to higher incarceration rates for black men. Segregation of public schools which led to lower quality schools for black youth. How history of Black Americans is taught in the classroom. These are just a few examples.

Though again I suppose all could be true, the correct answer for Woke question is also C. Woke was started in the mid-1900s in Black led movements and means that that someone is informed, educated and conscious of social injustice and racial inequality. Being Woke is nothing new, it has been around for a long time in Black Communities. What is new is the backlash against it. This is a concept which has been around for at least 70+ years and now is a political issue for Republicans. Why? I suspect one reason is they have nothing else to run on. They cannot run on Women’s Rights, Deficit Spending, protecting and enhancing middle and lower middle workers, gun violence to name a few.

It is important to note that “Woke” has moved into a bigger arena which includes lack of equality and injustice towards women and the LGBTQ community.

The anit-CRT anti-Woke politicians is not based on reality. It is true racial inequality has been built into government and social fabric. I listed a few examples, there are many more . I would suggest establishing anti-CRT and anti-Woke as a political issue was created by Republicans to win elections. I would also suggests it taps into white nationalism.

One part of the anti-CRT anti-Woke political agenda is that it teachers children in the school system that racism and the other sism’s is their fault which of course is not true. But it is interesting, a political party that has no problem with kids being shot in schools along with all the other gun violence in the US but is worried about teaching history and social equality in the school system. For the record, what will effect all children is climate change, the federal deficit, and gun violence to name a few. And Republicans have nothing to offer in any of these issues.

I am not aware of CRT being taught in K-thru 12. The concept has been taught and discussed at the post-secondary level. What is being taught in many schools is an awareness of history, warts and all and all children are equally valued, regardless of race or ism. This is a good thing.

For me, the bottom line is the anti-CRT anti-Woke movement is part of the white nationalism movement. The US since its inception in 1976 has been and continues to be the greatest country the world has ever seen. Addressing our problems does not make us weak, but better today and long term better for all children and grandchildren. The more just and equal our country is, the better we will do both economically and socially.