CRT

[ see-ahr-tee ]

abbreviation for

1. cathode-ray tube ( def ).
2. a computer monitor or television that includes a cathode-ray tube.
3. critical race theory ( def ).

CRT

abbreviation for

1. cathode-ray tube
2. (in Britain) composite rate tax: a system of paying interest to savers by which a rate of tax for a period, such as one financial year, is determined in advance, and interest is paid net of tax which is deducted at source

Example Sentences

It's a drum he beats repeatedly, arguing that "patriots" — meaning, of course, white men — are unwilling to serve lest they be exposed to "CRT, DEI nonsense, all the gender nonsense."

From Salon

In the wake of the 2020 racial justice protests, CRT, with help from Rufo, quickly became something of a "radical left" boogeyman.

From Salon

One option is to blame far away cities and liberals and minorities and woke and CRT and antifa and college professors like me for all of your problems.

From Salon

But the CRT, which works to improve quality of life in former coalfield areas across Britain, said many new roles were low-paying positions on flexible contracts that did not offer job security.

From BBC

We let them legitimize CRT, which is not real, by explaining for months: "It's not real, it's a legal theory, da-da-da-da."

From Salon

Related Words

• monitor

About This Word

What does CRT stand for?

CRT is a common abbreviation for Critical Race Theory, which refers to a way of analyzing systems, institutions, and power through a lens of race and racism.

Central to Critical Race Theory is the idea that many institutions are built on and enforce systemic racism and oppression of people of color, that this racism and oppression have a long history in the US and the world (including slavery and its legacy), and that they are ongoing and driven by white supremacy.

As an academic, intellectual, or philosophical discipline or school or thought, Critical Race Theory is broad and encompasses the discussion and use of many related concepts and terms, such as implicit bias, intersectionality, and white privilege.

Read more about Critical Race Theory and the recent increase in usage and awareness of the term.

Where does Critical Race Theory come from?

The term Critical Race Theory was coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, who was one of the early developers of the theory, along with scholars Derrick Bell and Alan Freeman, among others. (Crenshaw is also credited with coining the term intersectionality.) The movement is often traced to a 1989 workshop, but it grew out of earlier research. Early scholarly work in what became known as Critical Race Theory was done in the context of US law, including analysis of why civil rights legislation of the 1960s and 1970s had not been more effective at lessening the social and economic disparities between white Americans and African Americans, Native Americans, and other people of color. It has since been applied to other institutions that theorists believe maintain and are influenced by systemic racism, including in the areas of education, housing, finance, and labor.

Critical Race Theory is a complex body of thought that encompasses multiple disciplines, and its concepts and conclusions are interpreted in different ways. Even the words in its name are subject to debate as to what they mean or imply in the term itself or in general.

Critical

The most general sense of the word critical means “containing careful or analytical evaluations,” and, like in many other academic contexts, this is how the word is often intended in Critical Race Theory. The more specific, popular sense of critical means “containing or making negative judgments or assessments.” This sense is also associated with Critical Race Theory due to the fact that many of the conclusions reached using it as an analytical framework are indeed critical of institutions that are thought to perpetuate institutional racism.

Race

Throughout history, the word race has commonly been used to refer to an arbitrary and unscientific classification of humans based on various physical characteristics, especially skin color. This classification is a foundation of racism. In contrast, those who apply Critical Race Theory largely view race as a socially constructed system of categorization that divides society and oppresses people of color.

Theory

Critical Race Theory is an academic theory—“a systematically organized body of knowledge applicable in a relatively wide variety of circumstances, especially a system of assumptions, accepted principles, and rules of procedure devised to analyze, predict, or otherwise explain the nature or behavior of a specified set of phenomena.” In other words, it is a way of thinking and analyzing things based on a body of supporting research and observations (as opposed to a hypothesis that is meant to be “proved” or “disproved”).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to CRT?

• Critical Race Theory

What are some words that often get used​​ in discussing CRT?

• systemic racism
• white supremacy
• civil rights
• implicit bias
• white privilege 
• intersectionality

How is CRT used in real life?

Critical Race Theory is commonly abbreviated as CRT. It’s applied by many scholars of race and racism and is taught as part of the curriculum in some US schools and universities, typically with the goal of educating about the legacy and effects of systemic racism. Larger public awareness of it has been driven in part by its critics, who claim it is divisive.

Kudos to ⁦@JoyAnnReid⁩ for having on Prof ⁦@sandylocks⁩ one of the early and enduring scholars of Critical Race Theory. Brilliant beyond measure and crystal clear. If you really want to know what CRT really is. ⁦@thereidout⁩ pic.twitter.com/t0GRop1pRQ

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) June 21, 2021

I see a lot of criticism of CRT based on hearsay. Read the primary sources first, then offer criticism. I am in a class right now studying these theories and have only seen rigorous scholarship. I do have to wonder about why some oppose it so vehemently.

— Marlena Proper Deida Graves (@MarlenaGraves) October 13, 2020

Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on CRT https://t.co/j9Rh1g8CeB

— Dr. pati (@pati_ru) June 24, 2021