Toward A New Educational
Framework
of Critical Race Theory
By John Michael Lee, Jr., Doctoral Candidate
New York University & The College Board
Presented at the ASHE Annual Conference
Louisville, Kentucky
November 9, 2008
Introduction

Critical Race Theory (CRT) extends from Law
and Legal Studies.

CRT is an emergent tool in the field of
education.

CRT has not yet realized its full potential
(DeCuir & Dixson, 2004)

CRT has found many critics who dismiss the
findings of studies that use the framework.
(Darder & Torres, 2004)
Purpose

It is the purpose of this scholarly paper
to extend the uses of CRT in the field of
education.

It is further the purpose to increase the
interdisciplinary methods used by
Critical Race Theorists.

This paper is a meta-analysis of the use
of CRT in the field of Education.
Guiding Questions

The Guiding Questions are:

What are the Central Tenets of Critical Race
Theory?

How is CRT Currently Used by Scholars in
Education?

How can CRT be expanded to further enrich
research in education?

How can CRT be used by scholars in the future?
Central Tenets of CRT
 The
Centrality of Race and Racism in
Society
 CRT asserts that Racism is a permanent
component of American life
 The
Challenge to Dominant Ideology
 CRT challenges the claims of neutrality,
objectivity, colorblindness, and meritocracy
in society
 The

Centrality of Experiential Knowledge
Critical Race Theory asserts that the
experiential knowledge of people of color is
appropriate, legitimate, and an integral part to
analyzing and understanding racial inequality
Central Tenets of CRT
(Continued)
 The
Interdisciplinary Perspective
 CRT challenges ahistoricism and the
unidisciplinary focuses of most analyses and
insists that race and racism be placed in
both a contemporary and historical context
using interdisciplinary methods
 The
Commitment to Social Justice
 CRT is a framework that is committed to a
social justice agenda to eliminate all forms
of subordination of people
Current Uses of CRT
Current Uses of CRT
Scholar (s)
G. Ladson-Billings
and W. F. Tate
Year
Use
1995
Laid Foundation for CRT in Education. Used
as analytic tool for understanding school
inequity.
Used CRT to address racial microaggressions and campus racial climate.
D. Solorzano
G. Ladson-Billings
M. Lynn
1998
1999
Examines the curriculum, instruction,
assessment, school funding and
desegregation using CRT as a lens.
1999
Explores connection between research and
theories of African-Americans with CRT.
Current Uses of CRT
Scholar (s)
Year
D. Solorzano; M.
Ceja; T. Yosso
2000
Used CRT to address racial microaggressions and campus racial climate.
2001
CRT used as framework to examine student
resistance through story telling and other
qualitative methods.
2002
CRT used as framework to analyze the
educational inequities and barriers for
Latino(a) college students.
2002
CRT used to examine the racial climate for
Asian Pacific Americans
D. Solorzano; D.
Delgado Bernal
D. Solorzano; O.
Villalpando; L.
Oseguera
Teranishi
Use
Findings

Scholars who used CRT from 1993-2007 added
to the uses of this framework in education.

Scholars used CRT to account for the role of
race and racism in U.S. Higher Education.

Scholars commonly used methods of
storytelling to show the permanence of race.
Findings

A few Scholars use CRT as an undeniable
fact

Scholars usually cite all central tenets,
but do not provide support for each of
the central tenets.
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT
TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS
CRT Core Principles
Components of CRT
1. The Centrality of
Race and
racism are a
defining
characterist
ic of
American
Society
Race and
Racism in
Society
What To Look For
Race and Racism
i. Macro and Micro
Components.
ii. Takes on Institutional
and individual forms.
iii. Has conscious and
unconscious elements
iv. Has a cumulative impact
on both the individual
and group
•
Disparate Impact
• Microaggressions
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT
TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND COMPONENTS
(CONTINUED)
CRT Core
Principles
2. The
Challenge to
Dominant
Ideology
Components of CRT
Reveals how
these claims
serve as a cover
for self interest,
power, and
privilege of
dominant groups
in American
Society
What To Look For
Interest Convergence
Disparate Impact
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT
TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND
COMPONENTS (CONTINUED)
CRT Core
Principles
3. The Centrality
of Experiential
Knowledge
Components of CRT
Asserts that the
experiential
knowledge of people
of color is
appropriate,
legitimate, and an
integral part to
analyzing and
understanding racial
inequality
What To Look For
Deficit Thinking
Cultural Deficit
Models
Genetic
Determinist
Models
Whiteness
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT
TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND
COMPONENTS (CONTINUED)
CRT Core
Principles
4. The
Interdisciplinar
y Perspective
Components of CRT
Challenges ahistoricism
and the unidisciplinary focuses of
most analyses and
insists that race and
racism be placed in
both a contemporary
and historical context
using interdisciplinary
methods
What To Look For
Lack of historical
analysis
Lack of
interdisciplinary
perspectives
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT
TABLE 1: CRITICAL RACE THEORY CORE PRINCIPLES AND
COMPONENTS (CONTINUED)
CRT Core
Principles
5. The
Commitmen
t to Social
Justice
Components of CRT
CRT is a
framework that
is committed to
a social justice
agenda to
eliminate all
forms of
subordination
of people
What To Look For
Lack of Social Justice
Interest Convergence
Toward a New Educational
Framework of CRT

The chart shows how researchers in
education can begin to think about
what to look for as we use Critical
Race Theory as an analysis tool.

This gives a uniform process to inquire
if the principles of CRT are indeed
present in the literature, case study,
or other environments being studied.
Implications for the Future

CRT will be used as a tool of analysis
in education that will be able to assert
and support each of the central
tenants of CRT in a study.

This will help lead toward the
standardization of CRT to ensure the
quality and richness of the research
that is presented using this
framework.
Implications for the Future

This will also lead toward the
quantization of the components of
CRT, so that this framework can be
quantitatively be applied to studies to
show the numerical impact that race
and racism have on people of color.

Creation of new interdisciplinary
methods applied to the field of
education
Toward A New Educational
Framework
of Critical Race Theory
THE END!!!
By
John Michael Lee, Jr., Doctoral Candidate
New York University
Presented at the ASHE Annual Conference
Louisville, Kentucky
November 9, 2008