▁the ▁social ▁sciences , ▁developed ▁out ▁of ▁ep ist em ic ▁philosophy , ▁that ▁uses ▁critical ▁theory ▁to ▁examine ▁society ▁and ▁culture ▁as ▁they ▁relate ▁to ▁ ▁categor izations ▁of ▁race , ▁law , ▁and ▁power . ▁It ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁theoretical ▁movement ▁within ▁American ▁law ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁mid - ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁re working ▁of ▁critical ▁legal ▁studies ▁on ▁race ▁issues , ▁and ▁is ▁lo os ely ▁un ified ▁by ▁two ▁common ▁them es : ▁ ▁First , ▁C RT ▁propos es ▁that ▁white ▁supre m acy ▁and ▁ra cial ▁power ▁are ▁maintained ▁over ▁time , ▁and ▁in ▁particular , ▁that ▁the ▁law ▁may ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁this ▁process . ▁ ▁Second , ▁C RT ▁work ▁has ▁investig ated ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁transform ing ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁law ▁and ▁ra cial ▁power , ▁and ▁more ▁broad ly , ▁purs ues ▁a ▁project ▁of ▁ach ieving ▁ra cial ▁em an cip ation ▁and ▁anti - sub ord ination . ▁Sch ol ars ▁important ▁to ▁the ▁theory ▁include ▁Der rick ▁Bell , ▁ ▁Pat ric ia ▁Williams , ▁Richard ▁Del g ado , ▁Kim ber lé ▁Williams ▁Cr ens h aw , ▁Cam ara ▁Ph yll is ▁Jones , ▁and ▁Mari ▁M ats uda . ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁over ▁ 2 0 ▁American ▁law ▁schools ▁and ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁law ▁schools ▁in ▁other ▁countries ▁offered ▁critical ▁race ▁theory ▁courses ▁or ▁classes ▁which ▁covered ▁the ▁issue ▁cent r ally . ▁Crit ical