What do you think?
Rate this book
Critical Race Theory 3rd Edition: An Introduction
- GenresNonfictionSocial Justice
Paperback
Published April 20, 2022
12 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 11, 2024
AN EXCELLENT SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY
Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic wrote in the Introduction to this (3rd edition) 2017 book, “the critical race theory (CRT) movement is a collection of activists and scholars engaged in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism, and power. The movement considers many of the same issues that conventional civil rights and ethnic studies discourses take up but places them in a broader perspective that includes economics, history, setting, group and self-interest, and emotions and the unconscious. Unlike traditional civil rights discourse, which stresses incrementalism and step-by-step progress, critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law.” (Pg. 3)
They continue, “As the reader will see, critical race theory builds on the insights of two previous movements, critical legal studies and radical feminism, to both of which it owes a large debt. It also draws from certain European philosophers and theorists, such as Antonio Gramsci, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida, as well as from the American radical tradition exemplified by such figures as … W.E.B. DuBois… Martin Luther King Jr., and the Black Power and Chicano movements of the sixties and early seventies. From critical legal studies, the group borrowed the idea of legal indeterminacy---the idea that not every legal case has one correct outcome… The group also incorporated skepticism of triumphalist history and the insight that favorable precedent… tends to erode over time… The group also built on feminism’s insights into the relationship between power and the construction of social roles… From conventional civil rights thought, the movement took a concern for redressing historical wrongs, as well as the insistence that legal and social history lead to practical consequences, CRT also shared with it a sympathetic understanding of notions of community and group empowerment. From ethnic studies, it took notions such as cultural nationalism… and the need to develop ideas and texts centered around each group and its situation.” (Pg. 5-6)
They also note, “Unlike some academic disciplines, critical race theory contains an activist dimension. It tries not only to understand our social situation but to change it, setting out not only to ascertain how society organizes itself along racial lines and hierarchies but to transform it for the better.” (Pg. 8)
They outline, “Probably not every writer would subscribe to every tenet set out in this book, but many would agree on the following propositions. First, racism is ordinary, not aberrational … The second feature, sometimes called ‘interest convergence’ or material determinism, adds a further dimension. Because racism advances the interests of both white elites (materially) and working-class whites (psychically), large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it… A third theme … the ‘social construction’ thesis, holds that race and races are products of social thought and relations… Another… more recent, development concerns differential racialization and its consequences… Closely related to differential racialization---the idea that each race has its own origins and ever-evolving history---is the notion of intersectionality and antiessentialism. No person has a single, easily stated, unitary identity… A final element concerns the notion of a unique voice of color… that because of their different histories and experiences with oppression, black, American Indian, Asian, and Latino … thinkers may be able to communicate to their white counterparts matters that the whites are unlikely to know.” (Pg. 9-11)
They explain, “an issue that squarely divides critical race theory thinkers… [Is] One camp, which we may call ‘idealists,’ holds that racism and discrimination are matters of thinking, mental categorization, attitude, and discourse. Race is a social construction, not a biological reality… A contrasting school---the ‘realists’ or economic determinists---holds that … racism is a means by which society allocates privilege and status. Racial hierarchies determine who gets tangible benefits… antiblack prejudice sprang up with slavery and capitalists’ need for labor… Materialists point out that conquering nations universally demonize their subjects to feel better about exploiting them…” (Pg. 20-21) They add, “The difference between the materialists and the idealists is no minor matter. It shapes strategy on decisions of how and where to invest one’s energies… A middle ground would see both forces, material and cultural, operating together so that race reformers working in either area contribute to a broad program of racial reform.” (Pg. 25-26)
They note, “An extreme version of color blindness… holds that it is wrong for the law to take any note of race, even to remedy a historical wrong. Critical race theorists… hold that color blindness of [this sort] will allow us to redress only extremely egregious racial harms… But if racism is embedded in our thought processes and social structures … then the ‘ordinary business’ of society… will keep minorities in subordinate positions. Only aggressive, color-conscious efforts to change the way things are, will do much to ameliorate misery.” (Pg. 27)
They explain, “‘Intersectionality’ means the examination of race, sex, class, national origin, and sexual orientation and how their combination plays out in various settings. These categories… can be separate disadvantaging factors.” (Pg. 58)
They observe, “In the semantics of popular culture, whiteness is often associated with innocence and goodness… In contrast, darkness and blackness often carry connotations of evil and menace… Whiteness is also normative; it sets the standard in dozens of situations… Other groups, such as American Indians, Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans, are described as nonwhite. That is, they are defined in relation or opposition to whiteness---that which they are not.” (Pg. 85-86)
They argue, “many critical race theorists … hold that racism is pervasive, systemic, and deeply ingrained. If we take this perspective, then no white member of society seems quite so innocent… the stereotypes one holds of other people; the standards of looks, appearance, and beauty; and the need to guard one’s own position all powerfully determine one’s perspective. Indeed, one aspect of whiteness… is its ability to seem perspectiveless or transparent. Whites do not see themselves as having a race but as being, simply, people…” (Pg. 91-92)
They admit, “Critical race theory has yet to develop a comprehensive theory of class. A few scholars address such issues as housing segregation in terms of both race and class, showing that black poverty is different is different from almost any other kind.” (Pg. 115-116)
They state, “Another set of contemporary issues has to do with addressing racism in the criminal justice system…. Over 60 percent of the black men in the District of Columbia are … in jail or prison, on probation or parole, or wanted on a warrant… Black men who murder whites are executed at a rate nearly ten times of these who murder blacks… Many progressive people seek to understand the meaning of these figures and search for ways to combat the conditions that create them… one [CRT theorist] shows that the disproportionate criminalization of African Americans is a product, in large part, of the way we define crime… Figures show that white collar crime, including embezzlement, consumer fraud… and price fixing, causes more deaths and property loss… than does all street crime combined. Other CRT scholars address racial profiling… [which] penalize law-abiding people of color and alienate the young.” (Pg. 120-121)
They summarize, “Despite occasional disagreements and differences of emphasis, critical race theory remains a dynamic force on the American legal and cultural scene. The formation of spinoff groups, far from impairing the group’s effectiveness or muting its voice, has only added, new, vital dimensions to the movement as a whole.” (Pg. 141-142)
They suggest, “globalization and the need to cultivate business with developing countries will begin to place a premium on multicultural, multiracial people who can speak other languages and interact easily with their foreign counterparts. Minorities will find new niches in the world economy… Will this power shift occur peacefully or only after a long struggle? The reader’s guess is as good as ours… the white establishment may resist and orderly progression toward power-sharing, particularly in connection with upper-level and technical jobs, police agencies, and government… the change may be convulsive and cataclysmic…[or] whites may deploy neocolonial mechanisms, including… the creation of a host of light-skinned minority middle managers to stave off the transfer of power as long as possible.” (Pg. 153-155)
This book will be of great interest to anyone seeking a sympathetic overview of Critical Race Theory.
Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic wrote in the Introduction to this (3rd edition) 2017 book, “the critical race theory (CRT) movement is a collection of activists and scholars engaged in studying and transforming the relationship among race, racism, and power. The movement considers many of the same issues that conventional civil rights and ethnic studies discourses take up but places them in a broader perspective that includes economics, history, setting, group and self-interest, and emotions and the unconscious. Unlike traditional civil rights discourse, which stresses incrementalism and step-by-step progress, critical race theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law.” (Pg. 3)
They continue, “As the reader will see, critical race theory builds on the insights of two previous movements, critical legal studies and radical feminism, to both of which it owes a large debt. It also draws from certain European philosophers and theorists, such as Antonio Gramsci, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida, as well as from the American radical tradition exemplified by such figures as … W.E.B. DuBois… Martin Luther King Jr., and the Black Power and Chicano movements of the sixties and early seventies. From critical legal studies, the group borrowed the idea of legal indeterminacy---the idea that not every legal case has one correct outcome… The group also incorporated skepticism of triumphalist history and the insight that favorable precedent… tends to erode over time… The group also built on feminism’s insights into the relationship between power and the construction of social roles… From conventional civil rights thought, the movement took a concern for redressing historical wrongs, as well as the insistence that legal and social history lead to practical consequences, CRT also shared with it a sympathetic understanding of notions of community and group empowerment. From ethnic studies, it took notions such as cultural nationalism… and the need to develop ideas and texts centered around each group and its situation.” (Pg. 5-6)
They also note, “Unlike some academic disciplines, critical race theory contains an activist dimension. It tries not only to understand our social situation but to change it, setting out not only to ascertain how society organizes itself along racial lines and hierarchies but to transform it for the better.” (Pg. 8)
They outline, “Probably not every writer would subscribe to every tenet set out in this book, but many would agree on the following propositions. First, racism is ordinary, not aberrational … The second feature, sometimes called ‘interest convergence’ or material determinism, adds a further dimension. Because racism advances the interests of both white elites (materially) and working-class whites (psychically), large segments of society have little incentive to eradicate it… A third theme … the ‘social construction’ thesis, holds that race and races are products of social thought and relations… Another… more recent, development concerns differential racialization and its consequences… Closely related to differential racialization---the idea that each race has its own origins and ever-evolving history---is the notion of intersectionality and antiessentialism. No person has a single, easily stated, unitary identity… A final element concerns the notion of a unique voice of color… that because of their different histories and experiences with oppression, black, American Indian, Asian, and Latino … thinkers may be able to communicate to their white counterparts matters that the whites are unlikely to know.” (Pg. 9-11)
They explain, “an issue that squarely divides critical race theory thinkers… [Is] One camp, which we may call ‘idealists,’ holds that racism and discrimination are matters of thinking, mental categorization, attitude, and discourse. Race is a social construction, not a biological reality… A contrasting school---the ‘realists’ or economic determinists---holds that … racism is a means by which society allocates privilege and status. Racial hierarchies determine who gets tangible benefits… antiblack prejudice sprang up with slavery and capitalists’ need for labor… Materialists point out that conquering nations universally demonize their subjects to feel better about exploiting them…” (Pg. 20-21) They add, “The difference between the materialists and the idealists is no minor matter. It shapes strategy on decisions of how and where to invest one’s energies… A middle ground would see both forces, material and cultural, operating together so that race reformers working in either area contribute to a broad program of racial reform.” (Pg. 25-26)
They note, “An extreme version of color blindness… holds that it is wrong for the law to take any note of race, even to remedy a historical wrong. Critical race theorists… hold that color blindness of [this sort] will allow us to redress only extremely egregious racial harms… But if racism is embedded in our thought processes and social structures … then the ‘ordinary business’ of society… will keep minorities in subordinate positions. Only aggressive, color-conscious efforts to change the way things are, will do much to ameliorate misery.” (Pg. 27)
They explain, “‘Intersectionality’ means the examination of race, sex, class, national origin, and sexual orientation and how their combination plays out in various settings. These categories… can be separate disadvantaging factors.” (Pg. 58)
They observe, “In the semantics of popular culture, whiteness is often associated with innocence and goodness… In contrast, darkness and blackness often carry connotations of evil and menace… Whiteness is also normative; it sets the standard in dozens of situations… Other groups, such as American Indians, Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans, are described as nonwhite. That is, they are defined in relation or opposition to whiteness---that which they are not.” (Pg. 85-86)
They argue, “many critical race theorists … hold that racism is pervasive, systemic, and deeply ingrained. If we take this perspective, then no white member of society seems quite so innocent… the stereotypes one holds of other people; the standards of looks, appearance, and beauty; and the need to guard one’s own position all powerfully determine one’s perspective. Indeed, one aspect of whiteness… is its ability to seem perspectiveless or transparent. Whites do not see themselves as having a race but as being, simply, people…” (Pg. 91-92)
They admit, “Critical race theory has yet to develop a comprehensive theory of class. A few scholars address such issues as housing segregation in terms of both race and class, showing that black poverty is different is different from almost any other kind.” (Pg. 115-116)
They state, “Another set of contemporary issues has to do with addressing racism in the criminal justice system…. Over 60 percent of the black men in the District of Columbia are … in jail or prison, on probation or parole, or wanted on a warrant… Black men who murder whites are executed at a rate nearly ten times of these who murder blacks… Many progressive people seek to understand the meaning of these figures and search for ways to combat the conditions that create them… one [CRT theorist] shows that the disproportionate criminalization of African Americans is a product, in large part, of the way we define crime… Figures show that white collar crime, including embezzlement, consumer fraud… and price fixing, causes more deaths and property loss… than does all street crime combined. Other CRT scholars address racial profiling… [which] penalize law-abiding people of color and alienate the young.” (Pg. 120-121)
They summarize, “Despite occasional disagreements and differences of emphasis, critical race theory remains a dynamic force on the American legal and cultural scene. The formation of spinoff groups, far from impairing the group’s effectiveness or muting its voice, has only added, new, vital dimensions to the movement as a whole.” (Pg. 141-142)
They suggest, “globalization and the need to cultivate business with developing countries will begin to place a premium on multicultural, multiracial people who can speak other languages and interact easily with their foreign counterparts. Minorities will find new niches in the world economy… Will this power shift occur peacefully or only after a long struggle? The reader’s guess is as good as ours… the white establishment may resist and orderly progression toward power-sharing, particularly in connection with upper-level and technical jobs, police agencies, and government… the change may be convulsive and cataclysmic…[or] whites may deploy neocolonial mechanisms, including… the creation of a host of light-skinned minority middle managers to stave off the transfer of power as long as possible.” (Pg. 153-155)
This book will be of great interest to anyone seeking a sympathetic overview of Critical Race Theory.
June 2, 2023
A good explanation and analysis of CRT for those who want to learn what it is from those who actually created and studied it. Discusses various elements and viewpoints and the evolution of the theory. The authors strive to create a work that stimulates the reader to think and analyze both the content and their own personal viewpoints. Is this book likely to change popular opinion on the biased views and misunderstandings that are so common at both ends of the political spectrum? No, that's doubtful. Nothing is likely to accomplish that. This book is geared more toward the politically agnostic and those who are truly curious and want to learn. Overall, this is a short, solid primer to help the reader cut through the misconceptions in the media and politics.
March 16, 2023
Good introduction to the lay reader on the topic. Do wish there was a better put together bibliography, since the Bluebook citations are not easy for the average reader (or non law academic) to parse. Suggested readings per chapter is useful but not always directly referenced. A consolidated bibliography would be useful.
Needs updating, but 4th edition just came out, so one hopes it references some newer writings as well. Most references (to fundamental readings) are useful here, but newer material seems to be only in the late chapter, and reading in 2023 those seem a bit out of date.
Good introduction (as suggested by the title) but go read the 4th edition. I was too impatient to wait to get the updated one.
Needs updating, but 4th edition just came out, so one hopes it references some newer writings as well. Most references (to fundamental readings) are useful here, but newer material seems to be only in the late chapter, and reading in 2023 those seem a bit out of date.
Good introduction (as suggested by the title) but go read the 4th edition. I was too impatient to wait to get the updated one.
March 30, 2023
I read this book because CRT has become such a political hot topic. Particularly used by the right in their propaganda to gain voter support. So, I needed to know a bit more about it other than news reports, which tells you nothing really. As it says in the title it's just and introduction. Every chapter would list numerous other readings. It would be quite a study to cover it all. The subject is definitely college level or something for lawyers to be concerned with. I cannot see this ever being taught in grade school or high school. I found nothing to be fearful of in the book. I don't think we should ever be afraid of look deeper into a subject as long as the objective is honest and truthful. The politics against this is nothing like that.
June 29, 2023
This is a helpful resource in laying out the basic elements of CRT from its natural origins, namely, stemming from Critical Legal Theory. It does not provide much help in analyzing its philosophical underpinnings, such as its epistemology, but its authors are honest and transparent about the desire of CRT-minded lawyers and judges to tear down the historic fundamental theories of American law. The transparency is limited, however, as there is a conspicuous omission of its roots in Critical Theory and the Frankfurt School.
Read
July 27, 2025Wa good introduction into understanding what CRT actually is. I liked that there were activities and questions to help you understand and work through each chapter’s contents. Since CRT comes from legal theory, the book’s language was sometimes difficult to understand. I’m interested to read the newest edition to see what’s changed after 2020
April 24, 2025
I love it. It's the perfect starter book on learning all things CRT. I def forsee myself refering back to this frequently when I start reading more material on race.
Alot of these concepts can be applied to other racial systems abroad as well, not just America, and I find that so facinating.
Alot of these concepts can be applied to other racial systems abroad as well, not just America, and I find that so facinating.
Want to read
June 1, 2023per Mark & Annette
January 27, 2024
This would be a great book to read in a group or a setting that fostered conversation. Lots of critical thinking prompts and dialogue starters.
March 3, 2024
Read this for AFR 428 Critical Race Theory class and I definitely recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews