Some Critical Race Theory Opponents Act Like Cult Apologists

Distort, deflect, project shame, and say: “I got mine”

Daniel Carlbom, Wiki Commons

Critical Race Theory is obviously being distorted and memeified by right-wing propagandists to generate a fresh moral panic in advance of the U.S. midterms.

The way in which it’s happening reminds me of how cult members, or cult apologists, respond to the language of cult theory and analysis. I have a lot of experience with this as a cult researcher and journalist, and have detailed some of my findings in a post called “What’s Behind the Blowback You’ll Get When You Engage Cult Members”.

Let’s start with three similarities between Critical Race Theory and Cultic Studies. Both are:

1. Research movements entering their fifth decade,
2. Diverse in views,
3. Disciplines that strive to understand how abusive behaviours and policies can become so embedded in structures and institutions they are normalized and invisible.

Note about #2: I’m not familiar enough with Critical Race Theory literature to know just how diverse it is, but my sense is that it is as diverse as the Black liberation movement in general, featuring theological, secular, pragmatic, radical, hopeful and pessimistic strains.