What do you think?
Rate this book
The Origins of Critical Race Theory: The People and Ideas That Created a Movement
Explores the lives and intellectual influences of the creators of Critical Race Theory
Critical race theory (CRT), a vital movement and discipline in American legal scholarship,has transformed our understanding of systemic racism. Yet despite insightful analysis revealing the threads of racism embedded in American institutions and society, it has been demonized by opponents at every turn, with numerous state legislators now seeking to ban its use in the classroom.
The Origins of Critical Race Theory weaves together the many sources of critical race theory, recounting the origin story for one of the most insightful and controversial academic movements in U.S. history. In addition to introducing readers to the tenets and key insights of critical race theory, Martinez and Smith explore the lives and intellectual influences of the movement’s founders, shedding light on how the many components of critical race theory eventually formed into a movement.
Through archival research and interviews with scholars like Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, and Jean Stefancic, Aja Y. Martinez and Robert O. Smith provide the personal side of critical race theory. They reveal that despite the Marxist menace it has recently been made out to be, critical race theory is an organic extension of the Civil Rights movement, a deeply human and deeply American response to ongoing systemic injustice and inequity. An insightful exploration into the story of a movement, The Origins of Critical Race Theory narrates the hidden influences, fascinating characters, and intellectual struggles that informed critical race theory’s inception.
Critical race theory (CRT), a vital movement and discipline in American legal scholarship,has transformed our understanding of systemic racism. Yet despite insightful analysis revealing the threads of racism embedded in American institutions and society, it has been demonized by opponents at every turn, with numerous state legislators now seeking to ban its use in the classroom.
The Origins of Critical Race Theory weaves together the many sources of critical race theory, recounting the origin story for one of the most insightful and controversial academic movements in U.S. history. In addition to introducing readers to the tenets and key insights of critical race theory, Martinez and Smith explore the lives and intellectual influences of the movement’s founders, shedding light on how the many components of critical race theory eventually formed into a movement.
Through archival research and interviews with scholars like Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, and Jean Stefancic, Aja Y. Martinez and Robert O. Smith provide the personal side of critical race theory. They reveal that despite the Marxist menace it has recently been made out to be, critical race theory is an organic extension of the Civil Rights movement, a deeply human and deeply American response to ongoing systemic injustice and inequity. An insightful exploration into the story of a movement, The Origins of Critical Race Theory narrates the hidden influences, fascinating characters, and intellectual struggles that informed critical race theory’s inception.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
264 pages, Hardcover
Published March 25, 2025
4 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 7, 2025
“The Origins of Critical Race Theory” by Aja Y. Martinez and Robert O. Smith is a must-read for anyone tired of the confusion and ready to cut through the noise surrounding CRT. Having witnessed the debate become twisted and distorted, I can confidently say this book sets the record straight. CRT is an academic framework that examines how systemic racism is embedded in American institutions. It wasn’t created to stir up panic or invade classrooms—it began in law schools as a tool to address racial inequality in the justice system.
The book doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives deep into CRT’s true origins, debunking the myths that surround it. Martinez and Smith do an outstanding job tracing the development of CRT through influential figures like Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, and Jean Stefancic. They take readers through the history, unpack the layers, and reveal CRT as an intellectual continuation of the Civil Rights Movement—a powerful response to injustice in America.
What I appreciated most about this book is that it never felt like a dry, academic lecture. Instead, it’s a compelling, accessible narrative that kept me engaged from start to finish. Martinez and Smith explore the debates, hidden influences, and personal challenges that shaped CRT, making it much more than just legal jargon. And the sections on Derrick Bell, the first tenured Black professor at Harvard Law School? Truly inspiring. Bell had a vision and the unwavering determination to bring it to life.
If you’re tired of the false narratives and genuinely want to understand what CRT is all about, this book is your go-to guide. It’s not just another history lesson—it’s a wake-up call. Rejecting CRT means rejecting progress, and anyone who cares about truth, justice, and equity should read this book. “The Origins of Critical Race Theory” is essential for anyone serious about the fight for a fairer, more just society.
A huge thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC—it was definitely worth it!
The book doesn’t just skim the surface; it dives deep into CRT’s true origins, debunking the myths that surround it. Martinez and Smith do an outstanding job tracing the development of CRT through influential figures like Derrick Bell, Richard Delgado, and Jean Stefancic. They take readers through the history, unpack the layers, and reveal CRT as an intellectual continuation of the Civil Rights Movement—a powerful response to injustice in America.
What I appreciated most about this book is that it never felt like a dry, academic lecture. Instead, it’s a compelling, accessible narrative that kept me engaged from start to finish. Martinez and Smith explore the debates, hidden influences, and personal challenges that shaped CRT, making it much more than just legal jargon. And the sections on Derrick Bell, the first tenured Black professor at Harvard Law School? Truly inspiring. Bell had a vision and the unwavering determination to bring it to life.
If you’re tired of the false narratives and genuinely want to understand what CRT is all about, this book is your go-to guide. It’s not just another history lesson—it’s a wake-up call. Rejecting CRT means rejecting progress, and anyone who cares about truth, justice, and equity should read this book. “The Origins of Critical Race Theory” is essential for anyone serious about the fight for a fairer, more just society.
A huge thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC—it was definitely worth it!
February 24, 2025
I've somehow found myself reading a lot of histories about people unawares. Perhaps I'm less anthropocentric than others, but the title suggests more of a focus on the development of the theory rather than the people. Yet, here we have almost nothing about the theory ... all of the history is centred on the people who created, debated, celebrated, and defended it.
I'm bumping up the rating because we're now living in another Nazi-inspired era.
This is a text filled with stories. Most of the stories are rather personal: about relationships, great minds coming together, battlegrounds of ideology and basic human rights, and the meeting of various important figures who set the stage for critical race theory and then boldly trekked across it.
I appreciated that the authors drew out hidden histories. Even critical race theory is filled with sexism and other forms of non-racist subjugation and erasure. They write: "We believe that stories, parables, chronicles, and narratives are potent devices for analyzing mindset and ideology," and this rings true.
At the same time, this was filled with a lot of encyclopedia-like exposition and quotes. Meticulously quoted, but almost overdone. Very little of the text felt like a story in the sense I was expecting from the quote above. I had to put it down and come back to it when external matters inspired me to pursue finishing the book.
I also felt like, aside from a few figures, very little coverage is paid to some rather important folks, notably Patricia Williams and Kimberlé Crenshaw. I leave this book feeling like I know a lot about the early days (including all the matrimonial bonds and moving here and there and hobbies that had little to do with the main thread) and very little about the contemporary actors, especially these two! Very little about intersectionality and I think nothing on the matrix of domination (the brainchildren of Crenshaw and Williams, respectively) exists here. I know these are part of or coupled with critical race theory and not its core, but they are substantial and, I think, the average reader would expect coverage, or at least why they are too tangential to cover.
The most important takeaway for me was that it's been a struggle, and is likely to continue to be a struggle, especially with the return of our modern American dictator and friends. Read this and remember that history repeats, and we must not capitulate. Say no to Harvard; say no to the government/autocracy; say yes to basic human rights.
Thank you to NetGalley and NYU Press for the advance copy.
I'm bumping up the rating because we're now living in another Nazi-inspired era.
This is a text filled with stories. Most of the stories are rather personal: about relationships, great minds coming together, battlegrounds of ideology and basic human rights, and the meeting of various important figures who set the stage for critical race theory and then boldly trekked across it.
I appreciated that the authors drew out hidden histories. Even critical race theory is filled with sexism and other forms of non-racist subjugation and erasure. They write: "We believe that stories, parables, chronicles, and narratives are potent devices for analyzing mindset and ideology," and this rings true.
At the same time, this was filled with a lot of encyclopedia-like exposition and quotes. Meticulously quoted, but almost overdone. Very little of the text felt like a story in the sense I was expecting from the quote above. I had to put it down and come back to it when external matters inspired me to pursue finishing the book.
I also felt like, aside from a few figures, very little coverage is paid to some rather important folks, notably Patricia Williams and Kimberlé Crenshaw. I leave this book feeling like I know a lot about the early days (including all the matrimonial bonds and moving here and there and hobbies that had little to do with the main thread) and very little about the contemporary actors, especially these two! Very little about intersectionality and I think nothing on the matrix of domination (the brainchildren of Crenshaw and Williams, respectively) exists here. I know these are part of or coupled with critical race theory and not its core, but they are substantial and, I think, the average reader would expect coverage, or at least why they are too tangential to cover.
The most important takeaway for me was that it's been a struggle, and is likely to continue to be a struggle, especially with the return of our modern American dictator and friends. Read this and remember that history repeats, and we must not capitulate. Say no to Harvard; say no to the government/autocracy; say yes to basic human rights.
Thank you to NetGalley and NYU Press for the advance copy.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews