Metro East Sun

New Athens resident Anthony J. Leroy doesn’t seem sold on the teachings of critical race theory.

“This is something our wonderful state of Illinois recommends we teach our kids,” Leroy posted on Facebook. “Our public school does everything the state recommends. What if we don't like what the state recommends and we approach the Board with our concerns. Are they going to listen to us?”

Illinois State history professor Andrew Hartman wonders just how much the debate over CRT is still about the issue itself. He recently compared the debate to “typical culture wars where the issue itself is not always driving the controversy.”

In an interview with NPR, Hartman said “I’m not really sure that the conservatives right now know what it is or know their history.”

Hartman, the author of 'A War for the Soul of America: A History of Culture Wars,' went on to say, "Conservatives, since the 1960s, have increasingly defined American society as a colorblind society, in the sense that maybe there were some problems in the past but American society corrected itself and now we have these laws and institutions that are meritocratic and anybody, regardless of race, can achieve the American dream."

Emotions on the issue are running high, with radio host and black father Ty Smith recently charging at a District 87 school board meeting that the teachings stand to add up to all the wrong lessons for students in the community.

“How to dislike each other, that’s pretty much all it's going to come down to,” Smith said in a video posted to You Tube. “You’re going to deliberately teach kids this white kid got it better than you because he’s white. You’re going to purposely tell a white kid all the black people are down and oppressed. How do I have two medical degrees if I’m sitting here oppressed? No mom, no dad in the house, I worked my way through college.”

The issue of critical race theory has sparked a national debate about the role of race and racism in school districts. Often compared by critics to actual racism, CRT is a school of thought that generally focuses on how power structures and institutions impact racial minorities.

Smith said he is hoping everyone can come to agree on at least one thing.

“It all comes down to the ones that are going to be hurt from this being the kids,” he said. “This is something to talk about right now.