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shnewton's review against another edition
4.0
Everyone is talking about it and almost none of them seem to know what it is. This is a solid introduction for anyone who wants to know what it is before taking a position.
bkostela's review against another edition
3.0
I will need to read this again. In the intro, the author says this is the theory in plain language. However, I will need to read it again to understand all the complex ideas. The examples help, but these are not simple concepts. What is amazing is the class discussion activities and discussion questions. The authors understand that people might not be reading this book alone and need to discuss to understand. I need to discuss…
dlwaugh's review against another edition
3.0
This certainly won't rise to the level of an actual review, but here are a few thoughts.
First, the book is a helpful introduction to the topic. I've hear CRT thrown around a lot recently, often in a dismissive tone (i.e. "oh, that's just CRT. You can't buy into that as a Christian!"). I didn't have a firm grasp on what CRT entailed, and feared those who dismissed it didn't either. So, this book was helpful.
But, second, the book feels dated. It was written twenty years ago as an intro, and so a lot of thought has been done and the movement has, no doubt evolved. So, I feel I have more reading to do on current trends and thought development. And, as an introduction, I didn't feel I had access to how the theory developed logically, just a chronicle of key assertions, etc.
On the whole, I think there are good insights intermingled with dangerous assumptions and errors. To accept or reject wholesale is equally problematic.
First, the book is a helpful introduction to the topic. I've hear CRT thrown around a lot recently, often in a dismissive tone (i.e. "oh, that's just CRT. You can't buy into that as a Christian!"). I didn't have a firm grasp on what CRT entailed, and feared those who dismissed it didn't either. So, this book was helpful.
But, second, the book feels dated. It was written twenty years ago as an intro, and so a lot of thought has been done and the movement has, no doubt evolved. So, I feel I have more reading to do on current trends and thought development. And, as an introduction, I didn't feel I had access to how the theory developed logically, just a chronicle of key assertions, etc.
On the whole, I think there are good insights intermingled with dangerous assumptions and errors. To accept or reject wholesale is equally problematic.
brassplayer's review against another edition
3.0
This book provides a decent introduction to a controversial theory. The basic principles of Critical Race Theory certainly have merit, but the theory needs a thorough, unbiased analysis by scholars who have no preconceived notions as to the validity of its principles.
Every time I hear a politician or a religious leader on their soapbox proclaiming that a book needs to be banned (as this book apparently has been in Arizona), I encourage everyone I know to get a copy of the book and read it as soon as they can. When someone is calling for something to be banned, we can be certain that there is something in it that they do not want us to know. If there is something in it that they don't want us to know, then there is likely at least some degree of truth in it.
This begs the question: why are some people so afraid of others (especially teenagers) learning about the principles of Critical Race Theory? Are these people afraid that others might (gasp!) learn some of the not-so-pleasant truth about our country's history? If not, then why not let people study it and draw their own conclusions?
Every time I hear a politician or a religious leader on their soapbox proclaiming that a book needs to be banned (as this book apparently has been in Arizona), I encourage everyone I know to get a copy of the book and read it as soon as they can. When someone is calling for something to be banned, we can be certain that there is something in it that they do not want us to know. If there is something in it that they don't want us to know, then there is likely at least some degree of truth in it.
This begs the question: why are some people so afraid of others (especially teenagers) learning about the principles of Critical Race Theory? Are these people afraid that others might (gasp!) learn some of the not-so-pleasant truth about our country's history? If not, then why not let people study it and draw their own conclusions?
emilyatmidnight's review against another edition
4.0
This is a great discussion book of the many issues surrounding race in the US. If you want to understand CRT, please read this book.
None of the topics discussed were surprising to me, because it is a basic discussion of racial issues present today. Great reference for kids, teenagers, and adults alike.
None of the topics discussed were surprising to me, because it is a basic discussion of racial issues present today. Great reference for kids, teenagers, and adults alike.
shaffoes's review against another edition
4.0
The book is written with a legal audience in mind, geared towards filling a gap in legal education by providing background and examples of how critical race theory (CRT) came to be and what it has accomplished. It is a good introduction to CRT, although the language used was sometimes problematic, as the authors referred to Native Americans as “Indians” (a term which, aside from being inaccurate, can cause confusion concerning which ‘Indians’ are being discussed – misnamed Native Americans or Indians from India). My overall impression of the book, however, was that it was written to be accessible to a wide-ranging audience (from activists and scholars to lay people) so perhaps some of this sloppiness can be forgiven.
Although the authors are decidedly in favor of CRT, the book did a surprisingly good job of giving time to the movement’s critics and explaining their positions as reasonable. In the end, most of the critiques were given along with counterarguments, however the authors often seemed to be straying too far into fairness even as they laid out a well-argued critique of the liberal notions of ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’.
Perhaps the most useful part of the book came at the very end, in the Glossary of Terms, spanning from pages 141 to 156. This short section can be used alone as an introduction to some of the key concepts at work in CRT as well as a primer to some of the often mystifying language used by its proponents.
Each chapter includes discussion questions and scenarios that help to work through the ideas in the chapter and to consider them critically. Small groups or classrooms will likely find these questions extremely useful, and far more insightful than the typical discussion questions that authors present; the authors of this introduction want readers to engage with CRT, not just to accept its premises blindly. The book works well as an introduction, and it leaves the reader with enough of an appetite to continue searching – an appetite that each chapter responds to with lists of suggested readings.
Although the authors are decidedly in favor of CRT, the book did a surprisingly good job of giving time to the movement’s critics and explaining their positions as reasonable. In the end, most of the critiques were given along with counterarguments, however the authors often seemed to be straying too far into fairness even as they laid out a well-argued critique of the liberal notions of ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’.
Perhaps the most useful part of the book came at the very end, in the Glossary of Terms, spanning from pages 141 to 156. This short section can be used alone as an introduction to some of the key concepts at work in CRT as well as a primer to some of the often mystifying language used by its proponents.
Each chapter includes discussion questions and scenarios that help to work through the ideas in the chapter and to consider them critically. Small groups or classrooms will likely find these questions extremely useful, and far more insightful than the typical discussion questions that authors present; the authors of this introduction want readers to engage with CRT, not just to accept its premises blindly. The book works well as an introduction, and it leaves the reader with enough of an appetite to continue searching – an appetite that each chapter responds to with lists of suggested readings.