“It ain’t all roses and rainbows”: CRT to Praxis and the Scars it Leaves Behind

• In Event: Ain’t You Tired: Critical Race Hermeneutics as Clap Back

Abstract

Within the field of educational justice, Critical Race Theory (CRT) has served as a grounding theory for educators to examine how race, racism, and white supremacy manifest in the U.S. educational system and abroad (Gillborn, 2013; Ladson-Billings, 1998/2020; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Despite studies that definitively demonstrate the positive effects of culturally relevant teaching in classrooms across America (Leonard, 2009; Powell, 1997), skeptics engage in aggressive attacks against the theory (Lambert, 2023). Amid these critiques and bans on CRT, educators, researchers, and professors who understand CRT and its benefits continue to teach in ways that adhere to racially just principles.

However, what remains nebulous are two critical aspects: 1) how CRT can be effectively enacted and 2) the toll it exacts when enacted. This paper explicitly delves into how—especially within an anti-CRT climate—doctoral students, K12 teachers, principals, diversity leaders, and professors of color enact CRT as praxis (Stovall et al., 2009; Yamamoto, 1997) in their professional lives. By revealing these enactments, we aim to uncover such efforts' emotional and psychological costs.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education builds on its legal roots, originating from critical legal scholars (Closson, 2010; Rodriguez et al., 2022). This paper examines how educators enact CRT in their professional lives and the toll it exacts, particularly in an anti-CRT climate. Instead of rehashing CRT's history, our theoretical approach demonstrates how foundational works by Ladson-Billings (1998), Crenshaw (1991), and Yosso (2007, 2020) have inspired and driven our individual and collective efforts to engage with CRT in educational settings. This approach underscores the practical influence of CRT scholarship on our work.

This paper employs CRT’s method of counter-storytelling to center the narratives of educators of color, confronting dominant white narratives and misconceptions in education (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002). As educators of color, we share our counter-stories to highlight the interconnectedness of race, class, and gender and to challenge the dominant narratives that invisibilize white supremacy and racial injustice (Leonardo, 2013). Additionally, we incorporate Critical Race Hermeneutics (CRH), an interpretive framework that emphasizes the sociocultural and historical contexts of race and racism, allowing for a critical analysis of our counter-stories as texts to illuminate and challenge systems of oppression (Allen, 2021; Dixson, 2018).

The counter-stories offered by four authors illustrate how educators of color who enact CRT in their professional lives face significant emotional and psychological tolls, exacerbated by an anti-CRT climate. Despite these challenges, their commitment to racial justice remains, demonstrating resilience and advocacy in their roles. These narratives highlight the systemic nature of these struggles, underscoring the need for robust support systems and professional development programs to support educators of color (Leonardo, 2013; Appling & Robinson, 2021).

Scholarly Significance
By centering the counterstories of educators of color, our research reveals the emotional and psychological tolls they face, as well as their resilience and possibility for a different future. These findings inform remedies and interventions that support the well-being of these educators, contributing to the holistic repair of those who have experienced harm, loss, and trauma in educational settings.

Author

• Luis Alberto Legaspi, University of San Diego