How Americans really feel about critical race theory – TheGrio

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Editors note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the authors own.Read moreopinionson theGrio.

There are so many times and so many ways Black people have become a political football in America. White people fought a war and almost broke up the country over whether or not we should be free. They started another war, the war on drugs, at a time when there wasnt a major drug epidemic because its easier to repress Black people when its crime or drugs or safe streets.

The recent war over critical race theory has been a novel way of using Black people as a political football or as a way to energize white voters and make them think theres a real threat to their kids that they need to stand up and fight. Once again, we are supposedly the threat that they need to fear. But in this conversation, we should put critical race theory in quotes because were not really talking about actual critical race theorythe legal theory that racism has shaped America. Were talking about critical race theorya right-wing bogeyman thats telling white adults that schools are teaching white children to hate themselves and feel guilty about American history and that it must be stopped.

A recent poll from CBS/YouGov sampling a robust 2,500 people found that despite widespread right-wing caterwauling about CRT, most Americans say they know little to nothing about CRT. Sixty-five percent say theyve heard either a little or nothing about it. The rights national PR campaign has largely fallen on deaf ears, and their messaging isnt in line with what most people think68 percent of those surveyed said, teaching about race in America makes students understand what others went through. Only 23 percent agreed with the GOPs message that it makes students feel guilty about past generations. Eighty-seven percent said books should not be banned for discussing race or depicting slavery. Most people do not want history to be erased.

This is largely good newsmost Americans disagree that teaching students about race and Americas dreadful history on race is a bad thing. Despite all the videos weve seen of people protesting school boards and all the Republican noise, most Americans have not even heard about CRT. The big schism in the poll is thisamong those who have heard of CRT, 81 percent of Democrats say they have a favorable opinion of CRT while 86 percent of Republicans say they have an unfavorable opinion.

So the Republican argument around CRT isnt winning over new voters, but it is connecting with people who are already in their tent. Once again, Republicans are using Black people as a political footballCRT is triggering white victimhood and motivating Republicans to vote. But most Americans see through this smokescreen.

CRT has become the rights new imaginary enemytheir old imaginary enemies include the people who stole the 2020 election, the people who vote illegally and are the reason why we need voter ID, the people who believe in climate change, whoever gave Obama a fake birth certificate, whoever really attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6. Its all part of this bizarro bubble they live in where facts go to die, Black people are the problem and whites are the real victims. The erasure of Black history is critical to maintaining that fiction. Still, for now, most Americans understand that what we call Black history is American history, and its valuable for Black and white children to learn it.

Tour is the host of the podcast Toure Show and the podcast docuseries Who Was Prince? He is also the author of seven books.

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How Americans really feel about critical race theory - TheGrio