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This theoretical framework offers a complete historical perspective that gives a better context to the present.
History is an active social science. In previous articles, we have talked about its ability to self-analyze and rewrite itself. Research, perspectives, new data, and readings are crucial in constructing historical development.
Social or racial consciousness can also influence a reassessment of history and how it is written. A movement within the community of historians is an example of these shifts of optics about the past. We are talking about critical race theory.
Considerations of systemic racism
Critical race theory is a theoretical framework to teach history and other social disciplines. The term was coined by the jurist Kimberlé Crenshaw in the late 80s. It adds to the curriculum and conversations those subsections within the event or topic of study that may have been marked by race and racial discrimination. For example, suppose we are examining the end of World War II, the return of veterans to the United States, and the consequent rise of the American suburbs during the 50s. In that case, we cannot ignore the experience of African-American soldiers and the whole legal framework that prevented them from buying an affordable home-like their white brothers in arms.
Whenever there is a legal barrier or socially reinforced custom within a historical moment that enables systemic racial discrimination, critical race theory is necessary to have a complete picture of how that moment unfolded in the past and understand what consequences might continue into the present.
The consequences of the historical imbalance that affected African-American’s resources to get affordable homes can be seen in the current difficulties their communities face when getting higher house loans prices compared to Caucasians in the United States. This is a basic example of how an analysis of the past with a perspective that considers systemic racism is vital to understanding the current conditions of an entire demographic group. For academics, Critical race theory is an invaluable tool that helps research and historical contextualization, but its presence in classrooms opens another debate.
Should it be taught in schools?
The most heated conversation about Critical Race Theory is whether it should be included in school programs. Racism is a complicated subject. There is validity in the idea that it is unnecessary to subject children to a cognitive load of that nature. The problem with this argument is that it only applies if the children in question do not belong to any ethnicity, race, or social group subject to discrimination.
In March of this year, a nine-year-old girl testified in the case of George Floyd, one of the most widely-known occurrences of systemic racial violence in the decade. If such a young child can be exposed to witnessing a homicide and testifying about it in court because racial violence is terrible in her country, why deprive children her age of the cognitive tools to understand and combat systemic racism on the grounds that “it’s too complicated?”
Race and racism are social constructions, argues Tony Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and activist for education about race consciousness. However, these constructs seriously affect the lives of millions of racial minorities in the world and play a significant role in the design and functioning of economic systems.
Eradicating systemic racism requires structural changes, and this is virtually impossible to attain with historical and social education blind to the influence of the imbalances provoked by social discrimination.
Had you heard of critical race theory previously? Do you think it would be a good idea to include the topic in your classes? If you are a student, did any course you have taken included this issue? What were your impressions? Tell us in the comments.
Translation by Daniel Wetta.
Disclaimer: This is an Op-ed article. The viewpoints expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints, and official policies of Tecnológico de Monterrey.
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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 
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