In a TikTok video published yesterday, a local lawyer invited students to a free webinar where they can learn about Critical Race Theory” (CRT), which has sparked controversy across the U.S., striking fear into the hearts of white suburbanites.
The video begins with white parents condemning critical race theory, out of fear of students learning about CRT, which one calls in the video, “Black Panther indoctrination.”
But in fact, CRT is not that at all. It’s an academic concept that is more than 40 years old. The core of the theory is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not just the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.
Nevertheless, Karens and Kens across the country have been raising hell about it.
The video cuts away from the parents to show James Shaw, Jr., Legal Panel Chair for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
“Ah man they sure are worried that ya’ll might learn about some CRT,” Shaw says, while looking left and right as if to check that the coast is clear. “Ya’ll wanna learn about some CRT?”
Shaw invites viewers to go to forbiddencrt.com to attend the webinar. It’s on November 13, from 10 am to 2:30 p.m.
“Just in time for that Thanksgiving argument with your racist uncle,” Shaw says.
Professor Sacha Greer will host the webinar, and it’s sponsored by Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa (UUCT).
“Don’t worry, we ain’t one of them ‘jesusy’ churches, we got pagans in there and everything,” Shaw says in the video.
The webinar is for kids only, but an adult version will be held by UUCT through Zoom on November 14 at 10:30, where Dr. Greer will give a shorter version for adults as a sermon of sorts.
“There’s so much misinformation and censorship swirling around CRT; we figured the kids must be curious to know the truth about it so they can make up their own minds,” Shaw told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “So we decided to create a safe place where they can learn about it from someone who actually knows.”
Oh, and check out this video of kids learning about forbiddencrt.com on the street.
This story originally appeared at our sister publication Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
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This article appears in Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2021.