Critical Race Theory: You can admit that racism has been “embedded in our legal systems and policies” in the United States and still reject Critical Race Theory (CRT) as the overarching, all-encompassing explanatory hypothesis of how to evaluate and remedy the issues. The gross error that I notice among white conservatives is feeling as though one has to deny the reality of systematic racism if you reject CRT as an explanatory theory. But this is a false dichotomy. You can admit one and reject the other. What are the facts? The fact is that systematic racism has existed in the form of policies for a long time in the United States and that blacks have suffered greatly as a result. Education Week states: “A good example is when, in the 1930s, government officials literally drew lines around areas deemed poor financial risks, often explicitly due to the racial composition of inhabitants. Banks subsequently refused to offer mortgages to Black people in those areas” (using this quote does not mean that I agree with everything in the article). That is a prime example of systematic racism embedded into our legal system and policies. If we are honest, this can and does affect blacks who were affected by this policy and others like it for generations to come. May Christians think responsibility and recognize that a false dichotomy fails to offer a more nuanced option for the thoughtful individual who is not willing to jump on the CRT train but who also doesn’t want to turn a blind eye to injustice.
A Plan for Writing: An idea is one thing; taking action is another. If you have ever wanted to write, then jump into the murky waters. Who knows what will happen if you actually start and commit.
You Better Schedule It: Michael Hyatt says, “What gets scheduled gets done.” Now that I am a bit older, I realize that what I prioritize I schedule. What I don’t schedule seems to keep getting pushed back. So if something is important, schedule it. And yes, this includes conversations with those who are close to you.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 