CRT

What Does CRT Mean in a Text?

The Quick Answer

CRT means "Critical Race Theory" and "Cathode Ray Tube."

Critical Race Theory

The abbreviation CRT is most widely used in education, especially in the US, to mean "Critical Race Theory." In this context, CRT is an academic concept which emerged in the 1960s and 70s. The core idea of CRT is that race is a social, rather than biological, construct, and that racism is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies. Advocates of CRT argue that the idea of race advances the interests of white people at the expense of black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) groups, and that the notion of US law as neutral plays a significant role in maintaining a racially unjust social order, where laws which are supposedly color blind have racially discriminatory outcomes. Critics of CRT counter that the concept is based on storytelling instead of evidence and reason.

Cathode Ray Tube

CRT also means "Cathode Ray Tube." A CRT is a specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface. Until the 21st century TVs and computer displays used CRTs. However, these have since been largely superseded by flat-panel display technologies, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED).

Image for CRT

When I write CRT, I mean this:

"Critical Race Theory"

Summary of Key Points for First Definition

"Critical Race Theory" is, by far, the most common meaning for CRT when it is used in a text. (Bear in mind that it could have another meaning if used in a different context.)