Critical Race Theory: a Strategy for Framing Discussions Around Social Justice and Democratic Education

The increasing diversity of our classrooms means we must learn to work with, and across, cultural, racial and gendered differences, without falling into diversity management. This paper employs Critical Race Theory (CRT) and paradigmatic frameworks to address social crises in our classrooms—thus demonstrating how we can value (i.e., not erase) our differences and equitably share power in the classroom. Employing an CRT intersectional analysis, I will explore the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of racial (in) justice in diverse contexts (within frameworks that recognize the salience of social identities including, but not limited to, class, and race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, immigration status and ability). Examples will be provided from my own teachings of how CRT has been employed in the university classroom setting and how student’s powerful testimonies and voices connect storytelling to validate their lived experiences. The aim of this presentation is to facilitate an ongoing dialogue about the meaning of contemporary racism and how CRT storytelling education can be used as strategy for framing discussions around social justice and democracy.