Fair critique?

It’s certainly fair for Sue Lani Madsen to offer criticism of a theory like “Critical Race Theory” (CRT). What’s not fair is for her to use an inaccurate definition of it to then knock it down.

She stated that “Critical race theory starts from the assumption that everyone belongs to a racial category, and your identity is your race. Judgment is based on the color of your skin and not the content of your character.” (From Sue Lani Madsen’s column on March 4, 2021)

The actual definition of CRT is: “The view that the law and legal institutions are inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that has been used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color.” (Www.britiannica.com/topic/critical-race-theory).

We can debate the pros and cons of CRT, but to be fair, we must use the actual definition. CRT is not about individual racial identity and character judgments. It’s about how legal, societal, and cultural systems operate to the advantage of one group and to the disadvantage of another.

Dan Distelhorst, Ph.D.

Spokane