Critical Race Theory (SC)

In 2021, states began an unprecedented attack on a legal theory and movement called Critical Race Theory (CRT). While critics disparage CRT as harmful and even un-American, public discourse often fails to adequately explain what CRT is or the actual parameters of the theory. Attacks on CRT indicate a real threat to the future of scholarship that theorizes about race, class, gender, and sexuality. With CRT under intense scrutiny and facing increasing hostility, it is important to engage with CRT to clarify, understand and critique its claims. This course will examine the origins of CRT, contextualize attacks on CRT, and critically examine contemporary iterations of CRT. We will cover a range of topics which will likely include intersectionality, identity-based discrimination, and E-CRT (Empirical Critical Race Theory), among others.