Extended Commentary: Critical Race Theory, Identity Politics, and the Problem of Social Solidarity

This article examines the emergent controversy over Critical Race Theory—what it is, how it is applied and practiced, and why it has become the source of conservative political opposition in the United States. The claims and counterclaims about the theory can be understood in the context of the broader politics of identity among both the political left and political right, as well as the more general problem of social solidarity and the challenge of incorporating diversity and multiculturalism in today’s racially polarized political environment.