34

Initially, Critical Race Theory rejected Marx’s theory as a competing theory detrimental to the anti-racist project. Shifting perspectives at the turn of the 21st century, some “race crits” now use the concept of social class and Marx’s model of the critique of ideology to strengthen anti-racist theories. This article confronts the CRT of lawyers and philosophers with Marx’s thought from three perspectives. Genealogically, the essay traces the history of the complex relationship between these two traditions of critical theory; methodologically, it identifies possible theoretical connections and extensions between anti-racist critical theory and Marx; and finally, it outlines, for programmatic purposes, the way in which Marxist ontology is increasingly invested by some race-crits for racial justice.