Populism Versus Critical Race Theory in the USA

A rise in extreme populism has planted its footholds in many Western countries, most notably in North America and Europe since the nineteenth century. Populism and its leaders and followers claim to be for “the people,” disguised as antiestablishment and antielitist. However, as Gutiérrez (The many faces of populism: perspectives from critical theory and beyond.Mexican Council of Social Sciences, August 11. https://www.comecso.com/convocatorias/many-faces-populism-perspectives-critical-theory-beyond, 2020) asserts, although surface populism claims to exist to return power to the people, removing it from governmental and economic elites, populism is linked globally to nationalist leaders, left-wing economic populists, white supremacists, and authoritarianism in general. Recently, Critical Race Theory has faced attacks from far-right conservatives seeking to villainize attempts at creating pluralistic, multicultural educational systems in the United States. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a theoretical framework postulating that racial inequality is embedded within American society, particularly within our legal, economic, and educational institutions. CRT also acknowledges intersectionality. Challenging CRT has far-reaching implications, including the erasure of American history that paints any aspect of white America in a negative light. What is less known is how exactly the rise in populism has contributed to the challenges against Critical Race Theory, and, by extension, challenges against creating pluralistic, intercultural schools and curriculum. It is these omissions that we will examine in this entry.