Handout from Critical Race Theory on July 9, 2008
- Race is socially constructed product of social thought and relations.
- Racism is normal, ordinary and ingrained into society, making it difficult to recognize.
- Traditional claims of neutrality, objectivity, and color-blindness must be contested in order to reveal the self-interests of dominant groups.
- Social justice platforms and practices are the only way to eliminate racism and other forms of oppression and injustice.
- The experiential knowledge of communities of colors or their “unique voice” is valid, legitimate, and critical toward understanding the persistence of racial inequality.
- Communities of color are differentially racialized depending on the interests of the dominant group.
- History and historical contexts must be taken into consideration in order to challenge policies and practices that affect people in color.
- The ideological contestation, deconstruction, and reconstruction of race is often demonstrated through storytelling and counter-narratives.