5. When the Well Runs Dry: A Cautionary Critical Race Counterstory

In this critical race theory (CRT) counterstory, I offer a cautionary tale concerning what could happen in higher education if unfounded hysteria concerning CRT and proposals to ban its usage in K-12 go unchecked. I situate the counterstory in the not-so-distant future – 2045 – when composite character, Wisdom Evers, is preparing to face dismissal from her faculty position and possibly criminal action for her subversive use of CRT after its removal from K-12 and postsecondary education in 2023. Inspired largely by recent legislative measures to ban the instruction of CRT in K-12 education, this counterstory is also informed by my personal and professional experiences as a higher education professional amid attempts to delegitimize and ban CRT by politicians and ill-informed members of the public. I write this manuscript in the spirit of Derrick Bell who utilized story to elucidate the materiality of racism in America. This counterstory serves as a solemn reminder of what could be at stake if oppositionists succeed in scapegoating CRT in the name of denying systemic racism this country.