Why critical race theory has become a key issue for conservatives

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

In late September 2020, then-President Trump ordered an end to racial sensitivity training for federal employees, though later President Biden reversed that order.

It was after conservative activist and film director Christopher Rufo went on Fox News and said, “The president and the White House, it’s within their authority and power to immediately issue an executive order abolishing critical race theory trainings from the federal government. And I call on the president to immediately issue this executive order and stamp out this destructive, divisive, pseudo-scientific ideology at its root.”

Rufo has become a key player in the national debate over critical race theory, which says racism is systemic and beyond individual prejudices. So far at least nine Republican-led states have taken action to ban critical race theory from being taught in K-12 schools.