ABSTRACT
Critical race theory (CRT) originated in the 1960s as a response to ahistorical accounts of legal events and the unchallenged notion of a colorblind legal system. Vanguards in the field of CRT, Derrick A. Bell Jr., Kimberlé Crenshaw, Ricardo Delgado, Mari Matsuda, and Lani Gunier, crafted CRT to defy common stereotypes and misperceptions about the Law. CRT contends that the legal system’s practical functions are impacted primarily by race and further complicated by gender and class issues in society. Critical race theory invites scholars of color to use their academic tools to challenge dominant racial stereotypes of social dysfunction and inferiority with new perspectives on events and social practices in the U.S.A. CRT calls for a larger body of published work by scholars of color to provide a more balanced portrayal of the lives of politically marginalized peoples. Delgado states:
Scholars of color use rhetoric, research, conceptual design and analysis, and storytelling/counter-storytelling to show the endemic nature of race and racism in the United States. Scholars also believe that the goal to formulate avenues for justice and empowerment serves as a tool of solidarity within and among groups who are fighting for access and equity in various institutions.
