White Lies: Racism, Education and Critical Race Theory

Book excerpt: Unpacking Critical Race Theory (CRT) and exploring why it has become a focus in politics across the US and the UK, White Lies uses CRT to expose the systemic racism that shapes education. It charts the coordinated campaigns – involving think tanks, mainstream media and politicians – that have tried to silence antiracism in the wake of George Floyd's murder and 'Black Lives Matter'. Each chapter is devoted to exposing a key ‘white lie’ by examining the evidence that shows how the interests of white people continue to occupy centre stage and block movement towards a more equitable education for all. Gillborn establishes how the public debates, shaped by misinformation and 'white lies', sustain race inequity and portray antiracism as a threat to freedom and justice. Key controversies are dissected and debunked, including: the extensive and coordinated anti-CRT campaigns in the US and the UK; the use of racial gaslighting to undermine claims to social justice; how multiple forms of intimidation are used to silence antiracist teaching and protest; the inaccurate portrayal of the white working class as race victims; and how cruelty, in policy, aims to unify whites and demonize minorities. By avoiding unnecessary jargon to make complex debates accessible to a wide audience, this book is ideal reading for anyone studying CRT or interested in the topic of contemporary educational equality.