Teachers worry legislation limiting race discussion could have ‘chilling’ effect in Wisconsin classrooms

Gloria Ladson-Billings, a UW-Madison education professor emeritus and one of the first scholars to introduce the idea in the 1990s, said Republican rhetoric purposely twists the intent of critical race theory, which does not argue that one race is superior to another but that white privilege perpetuates inequities. “This particular movement at the legislative level is a red herring, a way to gin up fear,” Ladson-Billings told the State Journal in an interview. “It’s a political move, a way to rally the troops.”