Glossary

Critical race theory

An academic framework, originating in law, that examines how race and racism are embedded in laws and institutions, and a flashpoint in school debates.

Also called: CRT, critical race studies

Critical race theory (CRT) is an approach that emerged in American law schools in the 1970s and 1980s, with scholars such as Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Richard Delgado and Alan Freeman. It argues that racism is not only the result of individual prejudice but is embedded in laws, institutions and practices, and that apparently neutral rules can reproduce racial disparities.

Common themes include the idea that racism is ordinary and structural, skepticism of colorblind approaches, attention to the experience of people of color through narrative and the concept of "intersectionality," coined by Crenshaw, which describes overlapping identities. Scholars within the field disagree about many questions.

Since 2020, "critical race theory" has become a political term in disputes over schools. Opponents, including many conservatives, use it broadly for curricula and trainings that they say teach students to see people primarily by race or to feel guilt, and state legislatures have passed laws limiting such "divisive concepts." Supporters of the academic field say that it is a graduate-level legal framework not taught in K-12 schools and that these laws restrict honest teaching about history. The disagreement over definition is itself part of the dispute. See identity politics and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

In the index now

Related terms

Identity politics Political activity organized around group identities such as race, gender or religion, a term used both descriptively and as criticism. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) Organizational policies and programs aimed at diversity of people, equitable treatment and inclusion, which have become contested politically. Marxism The body of social and economic theory derived from Karl Marx, centered on class conflict and the replacement of capitalism. Woke A term that began as awareness of racial injustice and is now often used, mostly pejoratively, for progressive cultural and social attitudes. Equal Protection Clause The Fourteenth Amendment guarantee that no state may deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.