A New Report Finds Florida Colleges Embracing Critical Race Theory

A new report looking at 520 colleges and universities from William Jacobson, a law professor who teaches at Cornell University, found that 236 of those schools have embraced critical race theory (CRT).

Those schools have mandated CRT courses or training for students, faculty, and staff. CRT claims that many American institutions are systemically racist and oppressive to racial minorities.

Jacobson said his research has found that 236 colleges “mandate race-related training and study, sometimes calling it CRT, but more often using euphemisms like ‘antiracism’ or ‘equity.’” He is the president and director of the Legal Insurrection Foundation and runs a website that points out many areas where CRT and CRT-related items are being pushed.

Jacobson’s data shows that 138 colleges and universities have incorporated CRT in their school-wide mandatory material related to curricular requirements. CRT is brought in by 109 colleges and universities with their school-wide mandatory training for students which includes online orientations At least 70 colleges/universities incorporate CRT in department-specific curricula (“either full-length, academic courses or statements which declare that anti-racism/DEI/CRT/etc. are embedded into the general curriculum”). Another 34 colleges and universities use CRT in department-specific mandatory training for faculty and staff while 13 colleges and universities use CRT in school-wide mandatory “search/hiring committee-specific training”

According to Legal Insurrection Foundation’s website, some of those colleges adopting CRT are in Florida.

In 2020, the University of Central Florida (UCF) said it would conduct implicit bias training and other training for everyone who participates in the hiring and search committee processes. UCF also updated its diversity policy in May adding a diversity requirement for all first-time undergraduate degrees.

The University of Florida (UF) requires students, faculty, and staff to engage in anti-bias training.

The University of Miami has anti-racism, bias, and diversity training which includes implicit bias and microaggression training modules required for students and staff.

Florida State University (FSU) has not fully embraced CRT. FSU has taken steps to provide anti-racist resources to its students but no mandatory Critical Race Training sessions are required of students.