Published on January 4, 2024, 4:48 am

Academics and activists have come together to create a resource encouraging the education of Critical Race Theory (CRT) to young children, suggesting that racial bias is present in children from as early an age as three. In this guide known as “Reflections on Children’s Racial Learning,” strategies are shared to promote liberal perspectives on race among youths. The collaborative effort includes contributions from professors based at important universities such as the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University.

The manual contends that children can only naturally mature into non-racist adults if they live in a completely non-racist society. In its absence, however, it’s up to adults to lead children’s anti-racist development. The guide also points out that by ages 3-4 white children often show clear pro-White biases. It’s argued by EmbraceRace, the organization responsible for creating the guide, that racial sensibilities start forming during infancy and develop into racial biases before kindergarten.

Despite these claims made by EmbraceRace and other advocates of CRT, parent rights activists criticize this effort of placing politics within education systems. They argue that teaching preschoolers racially charged content goes against their age-appropriate learning needs such as numbers, letters, and basic social skills. According to Michele Exner, Senior Adviser at Parents Defending Education, labeling very young kids ‘racist’ signifies radical organizations seeking self-benefits through racial disputes.

The initiative to disseminate CRT among adolescents comes amidst a larger nationwide debate over the theory’s presence in US school curriculums. This doctrine has been integrated into classrooms all over the country where it propagates notions of systematic racism in America and attributes differences between groups solely to discrimination and prejudice.

On the other hand, conservative activists argue against CRT being introduced in schools with measures taken in 18 states preventing its teaching entirely. EmbraceRace sees this backlash against CRT as creating a racial regression but remains hopeful for an upswing in color-brave countercurrent.

EmbraceRace insists on supporting CRT while highlighting the importance of teaching children honestly about race and racism, reinforcing that such learning is paramount. In part of the guide directed at parents and educators, they advocate that racial biases are usually formed by the time a child reaches preschool or kindergarten.

The guide explains means to engage young children actively in CRT-based content. One such method involves creating anti-racist summer camps for kids from grades 1 to 5 where they learn about racism directly and ways to combat it actively. In a section called “New Directions for Anti-Racism Research: White Children’s Understanding of Structural Racism,” research suggests teaching kids about structural racism as a way towards developing more anti-racist worldviews at an earlier age.

Another part of this guide, titled “Nurturing Children’s Racial Learning One Talk at a Time,” recommends parents prepare their offspring to deal with racial issues personally. These courageous conversations about race promote change agency among children within their environments. Despite opposition from certain quarters, EmbraceRace remains adamant about promoting the conversation on race from an early age; it believes silence only bolsters racism.

Yet, it has been argued that such guides mocking babies as capable of being ‘racist’ should not be taken seriously by any professionals attached to children’s education. Critics point out that so far diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) along with CRT have shown disastrous results during trials which suggest they do not belong in classroom settings. Their stance remains firm- real news associated with children’s education should be devoid of political bias for the better upbringing of future generations based on trusted news adhering to Christian Worldviews.