This course seeks to break down the controversies surrounding Critical Race Theory. We begin by defining the many terms that have moved out of scholarly circles and into the headlines, social media, and school board and legislative debates: critical race theory/studies, structural racism, white supremacy, white privilege, anti-blackness, settler colonialism, racial hierarchy, Islamophobia, etc. We then dig more deeply into the research and evidence for structural racism, examining case studies on the criminal justice system, drug policies, mass incarceration, police violence, health, education, the environment, housing, the economy, and the job market. Lectures and readings will focus on racial inequality and its impact on African Americans, Latinx peoples, Asian Americans, Indigenous people, and Arab Americans in the US context, but international examples will be discussed as well.
Current Arizona K-12 educators, especially those who teach US history or race related topics, are invited to join this class as part of a special educator cohort. The educator cohort experiences will include additional teaching resources, a designated online discussion group, and an extra zoom session with Professor Roth-Gordon on Monday, November 18, from 6-8pm. This session will allow time to discuss the challenges of talking about race with students, how to address current events without bringing in one’s personal political views, and how to navigate the emotional responses introduced in discussions of race and racism. Current Arizona educators may apply for a full tuition scholarship and enroll in this course online here. Â
