⁣According to University of California, Berkeley sociology professor Prudence Carter, critical race theory is a legal framework designed by scholars in the 1980s that explains how structural and racial disparities persist in American society. Carter made the distinction between teaching critical race theory – a concept most often introduced to students at the graduate level – and taking a critical approach to teaching about race and racism in American history.

“The two are being conflated,” Carter said of the current debate surrounding critical race theory that is roiling many K-12 schools throughout the U.S., most of which do not actually teach the framework itself. Carter joined PBS NewsHour’s Amna Nawaz on Tuesday, June 29 to answer viewers’ questions on critical race theory.