The Debate Over Critical Race Theory

Published: July 2, 2021, 9:45 a.m.

In Loudoun County, Va., a fierce debate has been raging for months inside normally sleepy school board meetings.\n\nAt the heart of this anger is critical race theory, a once obscure academic framework for understanding racism in the United States.\n\nHow, exactly, did critical race theory enter American public life, and what does this debate look like on the ground?