The discursive tactics of perpetuating white normativity in public education: A critical policy discourse analysis of anti-CRT policies across 18 states

In recent years, state policies banning “divisive concepts” have proliferated as part of a coordinated effort to undermine racial justice by framing critical discussions of race as “indoctrination” and imposing ideological restrictions on curriculum and pedagogy. Using critical policy discourse analysis informed by a critical study of whiteness, this paper examines how 22 policy documents from 18 states operate discursively to shape the parameters of race-related discourse in public education. Our findings suggest that these policies employ three primary discursive maneuvers: (1) constructing false equivalencies that equate white discomfort with racial oppression, (2) appealing to “universal” values to obscure systemic inequities, and (3) controlling definitional boundaries to determine what qualifies as racism and racial harm. These discursive maneuvers not only shape public perception and discourse but also work to preemptively silence conversations related to systemic racism in schools. This study underscores the importance of examining policy as discourse, revealing how language itself operates as a mechanism for maintaining racial hierarchies while presenting itself as neutral. These tactics extend beyond K–12 education, shaping rhetoric and policy in higher education and other public institutions.