# Legal Scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw Defends Critical Race Theory in New Memoir
Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, the legal scholar who coined the term "critical race theory," is defending the concept in her new memoir while clarifying widespread misunderstandings about what it actually means.
Crenshaw also developed the framework of "intersectionality," which explains how overlapping identities like race, gender, and class compound disadvantage. Both concepts have become flashpoints in American politics, often misrepresented in public debates.
In her memoir, Crenshaw traces how she developed these ideas through lived experience and rigorous legal scholarship. Critical race theory emerged from law school classrooms in the 1970s and 1980s as an analytical tool for examining how law and legal institutions perpetuate racial inequality. It was never meant to be a K-12 curriculum, though recent political campaigns have used the term to describe any education addressing systemic racism.
Crenshaw's work shows parents why precision matters when discussing education and identity. The term "critical race theory" has been weaponized in school board meetings across the country, applied broadly to lessons about diverse history or inclusive teaching practices that have nothing to do with the original academic framework.
Her memoir, part of the NPR series "Backtalker," offers context for understanding how these concepts shaped American thought and why clarity matters for families navigating school policies and curriculum debates. Crenshaw's personal story reveals how scholarship grows from real-world observation and the need to name phenomena that existing language cannot capture.
For parents concerned about what their children learn about race, history, and identity, Crenshaw's work provides intellectual grounding. Understanding the actual definition of critical race theory helps parents engage meaningfully in curriculum discussions rather than responding to politicized rhetoric.
Crenshaw's contribution to