Inside a Critical Race Theory Class

Conservatives around the country are protesting what they claim is the teaching of a formerly obscure legal theory – Critical Race Theory – to America’s schoolchildren and undergraduates.  While of course CRT isn’t in the formal second or even eleventh grade curriculum, reporter Molly Minta of Mississippi Today and Open Campus asked herself: what are they afraid of? So she took her readers inside the state’s only dedicated Critical Race Theory class to find out what it would really be like to study CRT. She found a challenging curriculum focused on debate and discussion of the complex academic theory which explores how race influences American society. Minta also introduced readers to Brittany Murphree, a white, conservative law student who says she’s now rethinking some of her previously held beliefs and perceptions. Minta shared insights building trust with sources who might be uneasy talking about controversial topics and covering academic freedom issues and digging into the special interest groups who are pushing for CRT bans both in Mississippi and nationwide. Plus, she shares tips for data mining, including tracking how postsecondary institutions are spending their federal COVID-19 relief fund.