Leonydus Johnson book’s “Raising Victims: The Pernicious Rise of Critical Race Theory” is a good salve for treating the cuts and scrapes on a national psyche bleeding from ideologies that seek to divide and separate.
In his thoughtful and well-researched book Johnson quietly disassembles the shaky foundation of Critical Race Theory (CRT) with calculated logic, critical thinking, and commonsense. He exposes CRT and its ideological cousin diversity, equity, and inclusivity as ideological emperors with no clothes.
“In its stated quest to eradicate racism, CRT manipulatively places race at the forefront of everything and proclaims it to be the most powerful and important variable of a person’s identity,” he writes. “It claims to be fighting white supremacy while, ironically, making the exact same types of racial arguments that white supremacists have made.”
Johnson, who hosts the podcast Informed Dissent, believes in the uniqueness of individuals and promotes the ideal of colorblindness. He says skin colors like black and white should be no more descriptive of an individual than hair colors like blonde and brunette.
Analytical and Pragmatic
Throughout the book Johnson is methodical in his analysis of CRT. With surgical precision, he dissects the disingenuous actions CRT advocates employ, such as word games (the intentional manipulation of words and definitions), the motte and the bailey tactic (a type of bait and switch), and the Kafka trap (the belief that expressed opposition to CRT and antiracism initiatives proves systemic racism is real).The author is also pragmatic about the perils of the CRT philosophy. He eschews the idea that children should be labeled either as victims or oppressors, and that our culture should inoculate itself against toxic ideas like collective guilt and victimhood and refuse to instill those ideas in children.
“If I don’t embrace victimhood and the presuppositions of CRT and instill this sense of radicalized illness in my children or teach them that the world is out to get them, that their failures and mistakes are due to racism, and that the white supremacist boogeyman lies in wait around every corner, then I have failed as a father,” he writes rebutting those advocating CRT’s collectivist thinking.
“If it was wrong to categorize whole groups of people by race in the past, why is not wrong to continue to do so today?”
When defending his colorblind thinking, Johnson identifies as a happy cultural warrior. His narrative is largely positive, sprinkling his talking points with personal stories and pop culture references. For example, he refers to the scene from the movie “Finding Nemo” where Gill orders the other fish to stand down when a panicked Nemo is sucked into the filter tube and is crying out for help.
“Gill sees that Nemo has the power to overcome his obstacles and knows that by allowing him to do it on his own, he will crush that victim mentality and help Nemo realize his own strength,” Johnson writes. “By doing so, Gill shows that he is the most compassionate of any fish in the tank.”
A Must Read
“Raising Victims” is a healthy antidote to a poisonous philosophy that demands diversity and equity but opposes free speech and independent thinking that differs from CRT ideology.Johnson concludes his critique of CRT with an inspiring afterword featuring general advice on combatting the virus of raced-based pathologies prevalent today. These include the suggestion to never fear speaking the truth, to never allow progressives to control the narrative, and to never apologize to the mob.
Last but not least, he encourages Christians to trust in God. “Ultimately, we need to just pray, trust in God, and continue to do what we know is right. Ultimately, no matter what ends up happening, God is in control. We can find peace in that,” he asserts.
