At the crossroads: critical race theory and critical geographies of race

Critical geographers of race and critical race theory share common theoretical, conceptual, and political goals, yet we have not engaged with each other in a substantive fashion. I discuss critical race theory’s development within critical legal studies. I then discuss three points of mutually informative intersection: the all-pervasiveness of race, a difficult relationship with the black/white binary, and strategic deployment of narrative. Elián González is used to briefly illustrate these insights. In conclusion, I note that criticality, activism, and anti-racism are particularly vexed issues for critical geographers of race, and suggest further avenues of inquiry to address them.