Abstract
This chapter explores the issues of racial inequity and discrimination within the Central Valley of California PK-12 system, focusing on the experiences of both Black and Muslim students. The authors, Patricia Lane and Carolyn Lane, critique the current educational landscape, particularly the rise of anti-critical race theory (CRT) legislation, which undermines principles of democracy, equity, and social justice. Patricia reflects on her observation of Black students being marginalized in a classroom setting, while Carolyn utilizes critical Muslim theory (MusCrit) to understand the challenges faced by Muslim students in the Central Valley of California. Both emphasize the importance of dismantling oppressive structures in education and amplifying the voices of marginalized students to achieve social justice.
TopSeeking Out And Uplifting The Voices Of Minoritized Students
In the current climate of anti-CRT, we recognize that minoritized students face an uphill battle in the US school system. With the rise of anti-CRT legislation that has swept the nation, the notion that the educator is the professional is now at risk. These ideologies undermine the principles of democracy, equity, and social justice and perpetuate oppressive systems that marginalize certain groups of students, teachers, and communities. As such, minoritized students experience various inequities, such as under-identification of talented and gifted programs, funds of knowledge, and their positive assets. We draw on the work of Ali, Beydoun, Essien-Wood, Ford, Harris III, Howard, Ladson-Billings, Paris, and Wood.
As scholars and researchers, we utilize critical race theory in varying ways. Patricia’s work primarily draws on critical race theory and its various intersectionalities. Moreover, Carolyn’s work utilizes critical race theory and its emerging subset, critical Muslim theory (MusCrit). MusCrit offers a robust framework for understanding the dynamics of anti-Muslim racism, anti-Black racism, and Orientalism in American public education, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the lived experiences of Muslim students and informing future practices in public education. The following subsection provides a detailed explanation of how we define and recognize the phenomenon.
Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory is the study of the intersection of race and societal factors such as law (Crenshaw, 2002) and education and how they impact the lives of BIPOC individuals. Critical race theorists believe that race plays a crucial role in society (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995). Critical race theorists believe that race affects daily life for students of color (Sablan, 2019). Under critical race theory, the belief is that “racial inequality permeates every aspect of social life, from minute, intimate relationships to the neighborhoods we live in and the schools we go to, all the way to the macro-economic system” (Zamudio et al., 2011, p. 3). Zamudio et al. (2011) state that race impacts every area of our lives, from academic achievement to the neighborhoods in which people live.
Critical race theory proffers the notion that life is different for minoritized people. Critical race theory holds the idea that everyday occurrences that happen to minoritized groups can create an environment of annoyance due to the microaggressions that they may encounter (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012). Microaggressions can be defined as indirect statements or actions against a marginalized group. The dominant culture creates a systemic barrier of oppression for minoritized people (Patton, 2016). Additionally, critical race theory is an answer to the problematic colorblindness ideology that the United States has adopted (Caldwell, 1996).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Critical Race Theory: A framework that examines how institutional structures intersect with race ( Delgado & Stefancic, 2012 ).
Black: A racialized group of Black American persons whose ancestry derives from Africa.
Intersectionality: A theory that addresses people’s multiple layers of marginalization and oppression that work interdependently ( Crenshaw, 1989 ).
Racelighting: An act of psychological manipulation where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color receive racial messages that distort their realities and lead people to second-guess themselves (Wood, 2021 AU40: The in-text citation "Wood, 2021" is not in the reference list. Please correct the citation, add the reference to the list, or delete the citation. ).
Critical Muslim theory (MusCrit): A framework that examines how institutional structures intersect with religion ( Ali, 2022 ).
Islamophobia: Hate, fear, discrimination of Muslims.
Bi-Racial: A racialized group of persons whose ancestry derives from Black and White Americans.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC): A racialized group of persons whose ancestry derives from that of non-White groups.