The article presents a necessarily brief overview of these theories and summarizes a preliminary interrogation of the consequences of some common classroom structures in light of what these theories suggest. Likely the least familiar to those of us outside of the Law schools and unfamiliar with legal studies is the concept of Critical Race Theory. Basically, Critical Race Theory holds that people's perspectives of any and all experiences in any context are determined by their racial background. At the heart of the idea is the concept that race is much more than skin color, that it is a complex construct of all aspects of culture. It strikes me as particularly significant that the primary rhetorical device through which this theory is most often discussed is narrative.
Further narrative is seen as essential.
Two tenets emerging from Critical Race Theory are of particular importance to the classroom experience. This new Black separatism differs from the radical racialist concept prominent in the early sixties and seventies Black Power Movement, though the genesis of the ideas is likely the same. An added complication is that this separatism extends to segregated situations as well. Critical race theorists point to psychological research which suggests that black children are intimidated rather than supported by their peers. Blacks have long been vulnerable to accusations by Black peers of acting white'.