Why critical race theory is critically important

So many people have become fearful of learning about America's history. Or anything that challenges their trained way of thinking. The truth is, though, we can all handle unwinding years of inadequate education. We will all be better off if we learn about why we still have race issues in the 21st century. This piece dives into these issues. 

Stop using King’s words to support oppressive systems

It has become all too commonplace for politicians to invoke Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all while still refusing to embark on any meaningful change when it comes to race. Every MLK Day, the echos of "judge everyone by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin" is heard. But Dr. King wasn't just a person with a dream. He was a revolutionary advocating for the unraveling of systemic racism. This piece breaks down Dr. King's real vision and strategy beyond just a few nice quotes that fit on t-shirts. 

The 2021 film "Subjects of Desire" is a must see. It unpacks some of the negative stereotypes of Black women and how that has impacted both Black and white people in society. This essay gives you a glimpse of why we should watch this film to broaden your knowledge and help us improve society. 

Rapper Pitbull again said that anyone who criticizes America should think about moving to Cuba and see how much they like it. 

But Pitbull misses the point. Our standard for a great America isn't whether we're better that North Korea, Iran and Cuba. It is patriotic to want true history to be taught to our children. It's patriotic to critique America so it can improve its ways. It's patriotic to fight for social justice for all of its citizens. 

This essay breaks this down. 
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This essay uses the backdrop of comics and superheroes to highlight how we our unconscious bias has been form through childhood images. When people took to the internet to criticize the new Black Batwoman, it reminded me how we had green superheroes and a dog before we had a popular Black superhero. This essay explores how that harmed us and provides us tools to undo that impact.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I landed in the Rwandan capital city of Kigali. I was visiting East Africa as part of Africa Development Promise’s program to support women-owned farming cooperatives.
I had done my fair share of reading about various parts of Africa over the years and certainly didn’t have a monolithic view of the continent. But you can’t grow up in a western country without having at least some unconscious bias about the continent being “backwards.” It’s not like I thought of countries as “shitholes” or anything, but I still approached my trip with a combination of excitement and apprehension.

This piece explores my travels to Rwanda, Ethiopia and Uganda and what lessons we can learn from the beautiful continent of Africa. 

Why everyone's so scared

​A primary tenet of critical race theory is the oft-ignored reality that racism is ordinary and normative. It’s not a few nut cases. It’s not aberrational. It’s not individualized. It’s you. It’s me. It’s our systems. It’s part and parcel of society.

Racism, according to CRT, is deeply part of our American psyche, affecting all of us.
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The result, which is why so many are in uproar, is that every person would not only need to critically examine the country we were taught was the champion of freedom. But that we must look inside ourselves. At our biases. Our attitudes. Our behaviors.

This essay explores CRT in an intellectually honest manner and outside of the extremes and distractions. 

The stars and stripes of racism

Black History Month obviously is an important time to learn about the challenges and contributions of Black people in America. But those contributions are far more than just the civil rights movement. Black Americans have been far more involved in America’s advancement than most of us have been taught. This essay dives into why Black history needs to be taught as part of American history and not just in one short month of the year. ​

When a white man shoots up a Vegas nightclub or guns people down in Florida, there’s nobody calling on other whites to condemn them on behalf of the white people. But for some reason, when some member of a minority group, whether it be a Black man, a Jew or a Muslim, we look these groups to issue broad condemnations. As if the bad person committed the crime or heinous act in the name of all people who look or worship like him. This essay explores why this double standard isn’t fair. ​