European Critiques and Actions Against Critical Race Theory

This contribution will compare and contrast the critiques and policy/legislative actions against critical race theory (CRT) in the United States with those that can be observed in the European context and especially in France. While there are some commonalities, there also exist notable differences. In the United States, one can observe a reform/retrenchment logic, where the (limited) successes in policy terms of CRT have led to political retrenchment. A similar thing cannot be said in Europe, where CRT has been, at best, a fringe reality in academic and policy discourses. Hence, in this context, whatever actions are taken to fight against CRT are better identified under the logic of preventative entrenchment.