Critical race theory is a lightning rod for criticism by conservatives and concerned parents across the country, and the battles are being fought publicly in school board meetings. During this ongoing battle, the mainstream media has waged a misinformation (or disinformation) campaign rife with false narratives and indirectly accused concerned parents of racism.
Much of the media misinformation narrative is that opponents of critical race theory cannot define the theory in specific words. Here are a few examples of the media’s narrative:
- CNN host Brianna Keilar asked a network reporter, “Do these vocal opponents of critical race theory actually understand fully what it is?” To which, Reeve said, “No, why should they?”
- USA Today wrote, “well-funded conservative and libertarian think tanks using critical race theory as a catchall phrase to spook parents and gin up activism.”
- TIME claimed, “Opponents of CRT now invoke it as a catchall term for any discussion of systemic racism.”
As defined by supporters, critical race theory is a theory of interpreting America’s history through race and that race is more than individuals holding prejudices and discriminatory views of other races. The theory was developed in the 1970s and contends that American institutions are working against non-white races.
Yet, as recent events show, parents are not buying critical race theory as a legitimate interpretation of American history.
Also, based on our research, critical race theory is the belief that the United States has always been a racist country and that it was built on a racist past. One of its chief promotion vehicles, The New York Times’ “1619 Project,” famously claimed that America’s true founding was in 1619 when the first slave ship came to the United States from Africa and asserted that America’s founding was racist in origin. Supporters call critical race theory an anti-racism platform, while opponents disagree about the theory’s underlying motives and its definition.
Critics point out that America’s founding was in 1776, based on years of evidence that the American Revolution was fought over representation, taxation, and liberties for colonists. Parents have often pointed out that critical race theory is not an anti-racist creed, but a theory that pushes racism and victimhood into the hearts and minds of America’s schoolchildren. They insist that the theory’s motives are to indoctrinate children into seeing race in every issue or way of life, eliminate the belief that Americans can be colorblind in racial terms and perception, and reverse progress made by the 1960’s Civil Rights movement.
The media is out-of-touch with parents, many of whom prefer to teach all facets of American history both proud and ugly. Similar to the 2016 presidential election, the media cannot connect with the common American nor can it comprehend why Americans oppose their preferred interpretation of American history.
The inaccurate portrayal of misinformed American parents reinforces the public’s view that the media is not telling the complete story, but a one-sided, left-wing narrative that aims to indoctrinate the public.
Trust in the media has fallen precipitously in recent years, and as the Trump presidency demonstrated, the American public cannot trust the media to tell the truth or be an impartial arbiter of information.
