What critical race theory is -- and isn't

Critical race theory.

You may be hearing the term a lot these days, politicized and presented by its critics as a Marxist ideology that's a threat to the American way of life. It's a concept that's been around for decades, a concept that seeks to understand inequality and racism in the US.

To get a deeper understanding of what critical race theory is -- and isn't -- we talked to one of the scholars behind it.

Critical race theory recognizes that systemic racism is part of the American life, and...