According to Assistant Professor Justin Krueger, “Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a theoretical framework that situates race as a central construct of society” (Krueger 2021). CRT grew out from Critical Law Studies (CLS) in the 1960s, which had postulated that “law and justice were not blind, but rather were utilized by the powerful to maintain control and strengthen structures of inequality in society” (2021). In the 1970s, some academics began to consider “how” – not whether – the civil rights movement was “being slowed or even stopped by less overt structures of racism” (2021). Specifically, according to Krueger, CRT “iterates that race and racism are inextricable parts of society” (2021).
Dr. Ashley Daftary agrees and asserts that “Critical race theory (CRT) is a relevant theoretical framework for the field of social work, especially when investigating historically disenfranchised populations. CRT is unique in that it aspires to empower voices and perspectives that have been marginalized, and encourages a problem to be placed in social, political, and historical context while considering issues of power, privilege, racism, and other forms of oppression” (Daftary 2018). According to Daftary, CRT reinforces “ethical constructs and values that set the field of social work apart from other helping professions” and “supports the field’s social justice aims” (Daftary 2018).
However, while it may support the beliefs of a certain number of academics, it does not represent the unique thoughts, needs, and aims of individuals within the people groups that academia constructs.
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