Critical Race Theory

This seminar will provide an introduction to Critical Race Theory (CRT) through exploration of foundational CRT texts with an emphasis on CRT’s relationship with U.S. social movements. CRT is a race-conscious analytical framework for examining the ways in which social inequalities construct law and legal institutions, and vice-versa. With this objective, we will explore CRT’s origins as a response to theories of liberalism and Critical Legal Studies, its evolution and influence over the decades, and the recent national hysteria that's emerged as part of a campaign to rebrand CRT.  This course will also explore how legal reform strategies both advance and undermine racial justice in an array of contexts, including criminal law, education, immigration, employment, and reparations. Throughout the course, we will analyze how constructions of race relate to other important dimensions of identity and structural injustice.