Critical Race Theory is a Practice of Freedom: Thoughts on Racial Literacy and American Democracy for Social Work

9:30 am to 12:00 pm EST

Nassau Community College

College Center Building, Multi-Purpose Room

Presenter: Kendall Thomas, J.D.

NCC Faculty, Staff, & Students: Free with discount code

NASW-NYS Members: $20

NASW Other Chapter Member: $25

Non-Members: $25

This workshop is approved for 2.0 continuing education credit hours for licensed social workers, licensed mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists and licensed psychologists

Workshop Description

It is important for social workers to engage in anti-racism and cultural competency: a core CSWE competency of social work education is for social workers to engage anti-racism in practice, and a core NASW ethical standard for social workers is cultural competence, which includes self-awareness. In the face of historical disparities experienced by people of the non-dominant culture, there continues to be gaps in understanding of the context of oppression, racism, marginalization, discrimination, and socialization that influence the disparity of experience. Social workers need to confront these issues head-on, and to contribute in addressing the divisions inside our society. This program will review CRT and its principles, discussing ways that race continues to matter in policy and practice related to housing, education, employment, health, safety, justice, and more. In addition, this program will describe ways that critical race theory (CRT) in social work education can mitigate the gaps within contemporary multicultural service approaches and service disparities within the country. Throughout the program, the presenter will outline ways that social workers can place “race and racism at the center of localized patterns of disempowerment and inequality.”  

Learning Objectives

After the completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify approaches to analyze, evaluate, and refute the misconceptions surrounding CRT
• Describe ways to analyze and evaluate social media discourse on CRT
• Explain how CRT is used as a tool of oppression
• Describe how CRT was developed to explain the legacy of interlocking oppressions
• Describe the importance of anti-racism and CRT in social work education and practice.

This workshop is approved for 2.0 continuing education credit hours.

NASW-NYS is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers (Provider ID #0014), licensed mental health counselors (Provider ID #MHC-0053), licensed marriage and family therapists (Provider ID #MFT-0037) and licensed psychologists (Provider ID #PSY-0088).

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Presenter:

Kendall Thomas, J.D., is ​​a scholar of comparative constitutional law and human rights whose teaching and research focus on critical race theory, legal philosophy, feminist legal theory, and law and sexuality. Thomas is the co-founder and director of the Center for the Study of Law and Culture at Columbia Law School, where he leads interdisciplinary projects and programs that explore how the law operates as one of the central ways to create meaning in society. His seminal writing on the intersection of race and law appears in Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Founded the Movement (1996), which he co-edited. As one of the founders he will speak about the role critical race theory plays in understanding oppressed peoples. Dr. Thomas will also discuss the use of CRT to silence marginalized communities.​ .