Critical Race Theory and the Prevalence of White Privilege in Education
Sameer Abuzandah *
Kansas State University, United States of America.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Race is still a topic of discussion in the education system. Dixson and Rousseau [1] state that, “race is still a significant fact in society in general and education in particular” (p. 8). Social justice is the belief that all people in the world should enjoy the same economic, social, and political rights regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status or any other characteristics [2]. In an ideal world, social justice would be widespread in the educational system. However, I have observed the presence of inequality and white privilege in my teaching experiences such as white children having an easier time gaining admission into schools because admission boards are dominantly white. As a believer of social justice, this concept has affected and altered my teaching philosophy and I have endeavored to study the Critical Race Theory (CRT) framework and the concept of white privilege in an effort to develop myself as an educator and develop a teaching philosophy that promotes social justice and prepares students to become responsible global citizens in the future.
Keywords: Critical race theory, critical pedagogy, narrative, white privilege