Higher Education

OU teacher course leans heavily into Critical Race Theory

November 18, 2024

Ray Carter

A teacher-training course at the University of Oklahoma leans heavily into Critical Race Theory (CRT) despite state law prohibiting teachers from employing that theory’s core tenets in state classrooms.

News of the course has drawn national attention and criticism.

As first reported by the Daily Caller, the syllabus for the “Schools and American Culture” course offered in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education as part of the school’s “educational leadership and policy studies” immerses OU students—many of whom are training to become teachers—into the world of Critical Race Theory.

The class schedule of topics and assignments includes a week devoted to “Critical whiteness in Education,” including reading on Critical Race Theory. Another week is devoted to “Critical Race Theory in Education,” which includes an assignment to read and watch material on “Critical race theory and the whiteness of teacher education,” as well as a video on CRT, preferably one “specifically about Oklahoma or the state you plan on teaching in.”

One of two books required for the course is “We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom,” by B.L. Love.

One summary/study guide for that book states that it includes “a framework for understanding how different social markers, such as race, gender, sexuality, religion, and class overlap to create different modes of disadvantage and discrimination,” an “abolitionist pedagogy, which promotes social justice,” and a focus on “the educational survival complex, which is punitive, profits from the suffering of children of color, and cannot be reformed.”

The summary describes the book’s message as stating that “the racism pervading American schools is crushing the spirit of Black children.”

Chapter 6 of the book, “Theory Over Gimmicks: Finding Your North Star,” emphasizes Critical Race Theory, according to the summary.

And the contents of Chapter 7 emphasize that “white people must confront their whiteness, white supremacy, white privilege, white fragility, and white emotionality, while standing in solidarity with people of color,” according to the summary.

The OU course appears to instruct future teachers to embrace a worldview that is not only controversial with the general public but one that state lawmakers have also tried to ban from Oklahoma schools.

House Bill 1775, which was signed into law in 2021, made it illegal to teach Oklahoma students that “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,” that “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,” and other concepts broadly associated with Critical Race Theory.

A July 2021 poll conducted by CHS & Associates found that 82 percent of Oklahoma voters had some level of awareness of Critical Race Theory. Among those familiar with CRT, 58 percent opposed it being taught in public schools, compared to only 30 percent who supported CRT in classrooms. Just 19 percent supported having CRT incorporated into elementary schools.

The OU class has gained national attention.

On Nov. 16, James Lindsay, an academic who is a leading national expert on Critical Theory and its offshoot Critical Race Theory (CRT), tweeted, “Oklahoma University thinks it’s above the law in its relentless ambition to harm and brainwash its students with DEI. Don’t think Woke is dead. The real fight is just getting started.”

In response to a request for comment, the University of Oklahoma issued a statement, declaring, “The University of Oklahoma is committed to ensuring its courses meet and follow applicable laws. OU never shies away from complex or difficult topics. We are committed to the presentation of materials that are viewpoint-neutral and non-discriminatory, and we continue to be dedicated to teaching our students how to think, not what to think.

“The rich history of the United States is complicated and unique, and it’s appropriate that coursework reflects that,” the OU statement continued. “This course on education studies is designed for professional educators and teacher candidates and offers a comprehensive overview of the complex history of American education, including key court cases and educational theories. It is specifically constructed to prepare educators for the public school classroom in both rural and urban settings with students who reflect Oklahoma’s citizenry.  That includes preparing these teachers with primary sources, facts, a broad analysis of perspectives and experiences, and the context to help them respond to challenging ideas with all the tools and resources they need to be effective in future classrooms.”

With Donald Trump’s election to a non-consecutive term as president, policy changes could be coming that impact colleges and universities that continue to embrace CRT when Trump returns to the White House in January 2025, such as changes to accreditation and federal funding.

Christopher F. Rufo, another national expert on Critical Race Theory, recently tweeted, “I’m going to spend the next 60 days making the argument that President Trump should abolish DEI, restrict critical race theory, shut down the Department of Education, and lay siege to the Ivy League universities, beginning on Day One.”

[For more stories about higher education in Oklahoma, visit AimHigherOK.com.]