{"id":4406,"date":"2021-06-28T14:50:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-28T18:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardinalnewmansociety.org\/?p=4406"},"modified":"2021-07-06T23:20:07","modified_gmt":"2021-07-07T03:20:07","slug":"on-racism-and-cancel-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardinalnewmansociety.org\/on-racism-and-cancel-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"On Racism and Cancel Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid high racial, social and political tensions in America today, Catholic parents and educators are eager to teach students about race, gender, justice and human dignity. That\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n

But adopting divisive and ideologically driven innovations like \u201ccritical race theory,\u201d \u201cwoke-ism,\u201d \u201cgender ideology\u201d and the \u201ccancel culture\u201d is not the way of faithful Catholic education.<\/p>\n

The Newman Society has studied these topics and published new guidance at our website to hep educators confront sins of racism, unjust discrimination and bullying while rejecting dangerous ideologies. Instead of adopting new and popular approaches to difficult topics, Catholic educators should rely on faithfully Catholic materials including the clear instruction in Vatican documents, U.S. bishops\u2019 pastoral letters and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

Critical race theory\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cCritical race theory (CRT) asserts that America\u2019s legal framework is inherently racist and that race itself, instead of being biologically grounded and natural, is a socially constructed concept that is used by white people to further their economic and political interests at the expense of people of color,\u201d explains Dr. Denise Donohue, the Newman Society\u2019s vice president for educator resources, in her recent Catholic World Report article<\/a> that summarizes a more substantial backgrounder on critical race theory<\/a> published at the Newman Society website.<\/p>\n

CRT rests on a view of society as oppressors and oppressed, with emphasis on imbalances of power instead of the inherent dignity of each individual and the complexities of a pluralistic society. Donohue\u2019s backgrounder<\/a> explains the development of CRT from \u201ccritical theory\u201d and its foundation in Marxism, which the Church has rejected as a dangerous political ideology. CRT\u2019s introduction in the classroom therefore manipulates education for political ends. The theory calls for dismantling and rebuilding American legal and social structures, and its critique of Western society sometimes charges the Church and Christian notions of God, marriage and gender as inherently racist.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents taught with critical race theory materials can become racists in the literal sense of the word: they may treat others (the perceived oppressor race) unfairly because of skin color or background,\u201d Donohue warns. \u201cDivision into categories of good and bad based on skin color is a reversal of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and antithetical to a Catholic understanding of human dignity and equality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cancel culture<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another concern is the \u201ccancel culture,\u201d<\/a> which hastily labels even the most rational and sympathetic commentary on topics like gender and race as either \u201cbigoted\u201d or \u201cleftist,\u201d often with severe social consequences. In an increasingly secular society, Catholics are especially at risk of unfair judgment\u2014even among fellow Catholics.<\/p>\n

Catholic education must not fall into this trap.<\/p>\n

\u201cAuthentic Catholic education does not cancel culture; it elevates, redeems and transmits culture,\u201d writes<\/a> senior fellow Dr. Dan Guernsey at The Catholic Thing. \u201cIt seeks out and celebrates truth, beauty and goodness, wherever they are found\u2014and if they are missing, Catholic education points that out as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Guernsey\u2019s helpful list of things that Catholic educators can do to counter ideology and division (see the full list at TheCatholicThing.org<\/a>) include:<\/p>\n