Civil rights scholar talks about critical race theory

A noted civil rights scholar took a campus audience beyond the borders of race during the second keynote presentation during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Week.

Kimberlé Crenshaw gave a presentation January 18 in the Kirkhof Center. Crenshaw is a professor of law at University of California Los Angeles and Columbia University. She coined two terms — critical race theory and intersectionality — that have proved foundational in many areas of study and organizational inclusion efforts. 

Crenshaw said she would "talk about the elephant in the room" and discuss the presidential election and its aftermath. 

"How can we commemorate Dr. King when we do not step into these waters?" she asked.

Crenshaw spoke about the catalyst for critical race theory, which came from the conflict between Harvard Law School administrators and students of color who pressured Harvard to hire faculty of color. Generally, critical race theory considers the intersection of power, race and law in its framework.

"Critical race theory came out of these difficult conversations," she said. Crenshaw said the protests of the 1960s that centered on access to lunch counters had shifted in the 1980s to institutions like Harvard.

The week's events continue Thursday, January 19, with the Teach-In and conclude Saturday, January 21, with the Day of Service and Solidarity. Visit www.gvsu.edu/mlk to learn more.