It’s an interesting time to dive into a formal, academically speaking, study of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in part due to the fact that there is an attempt to ban CRT in schools. This widespread ban frames this as a preventative measure aimed to “protect” K-12 students from “indoctrination”. It’s a rather ironic ban considering that CRT aims to end the indoctrination of the stereotypes placed on people of color and dismantle the inherently racist systems used to oppress and exploit.

While there are many quotes and messages within Derrick Bell’s “Who’s Afraid of Critical Race Theory” there is one I want to highlight in particular: “The Bell Curve captured the nation’s fascination precisely because it laid out in scientific jargon what many whites believe, need desperately to believe, but dare not reveal in public or even to their private selves”. The Bell Curve is a book in which claims to have found scientific evidence that black people have a lower I.Q. than white people, of which was proved to be pseudoscience. 

I wanted to start with the aforementioned quote since I think that it highlights the systemic nature of racism as it was these beliefs that biased the law and other legal institutions. For it is these beliefs that our society’s framework and indeed mindset was established on. It is this that CRT aims to analyze, recognize and abolish.

It is also I feel important to note that when these systems of oppression exist there also exists in direct contrast, privilege. This privilege is the existence of people of whom this oppression does not apply to. In the case of CRT this would be white privilege. This privilege can sometimes exist in not being aware of these systems. With that in mind the saying “ignorance is bliss”, takes on a different meaning; to be ignorant is to be privileged. 

I shift now to “The Hate U Give”, originally published in 2017 by Angie Thomas then made into a movie in 2018. While I read the book around the time it was published, I had not seen the movie until this assignment. The book, and the movie, center around Starr, specifically after she witnesses a cop murder her friend Khalil Harris. The story explores the contrasting media vs first hand narratives around the event. Within the media emphasis was placed on who Khalil was, labeling him a drug dealer and a criminal. It is through Starr’s narrative that the audience experiences a building sense of injustice and rage. Khalil’s murderer is never indicted, his case never goes to trial highlighting the self-preservation of legal institutions at the expense of black communities.

In the opening scene it shows Starr and her two brothers getting the “talk”, which for them is their dad telling them how to act, or more importantly how not to act, when interacting with a cop. It’s a talk that I and most other white people never got. My existence is not deemed threatening to a cop, but for black Americans just existing is a threat. In one scene Starr is discussing Khalil’s murder with her uncle, who is a cop. It’s an interesting scene because in his own way he is seemingly justifying the cops actions telling Starr everything that runs through his mind when he pulls someone over. At a certain point Starr asks him if he pulled over a white guy in a Mercedes acting just like Khalil, would he shoot or say “put your hands up”. His answer: “put your hands up”.

The. Hate. U. Give. Little. Infants. Fucks. Everybody.

Tupac, T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E. acroynm