Art usually just sits there. You look at it, maybe you think it’s pretty, and you move on to get a coffee. But every once in a while, a single image hits the collective nervous system of the country and starts a literal firestorm. That’s exactly what happened with Detroit artist Jonathan Harris and his painting titled, quite simply, Critical Race Theory.
If you’ve been online at all in the last few years, you’ve probably seen it. It’s that haunting image of a blonde person—their back to the viewer—using a roller to cover up the faces of Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. with a thick, sterile layer of white paint.
It went viral. Fast.
But here’s the thing: most people arguing about the painting don't actually know the story behind it, or they've twisted what Jonathan Harris was trying to say to fit their own political flavor of the week.
✨ Don't miss: Can a two term president run for vice president Explained (Simply)
The Painting That Broke the Internet
Harris didn’t set out to become a legal scholar or a politician. Honestly, he was just a guy in Detroit who started painting full-time during the pandemic after a stint at Coca-Cola. He was watching the news, hearing all these talking heads scream about "CRT" in schools, and he noticed something weird. Most of the people shouting the loudest couldn't even define what the theory was.
They were just using it as a catch-all term for "stuff about race I don't like."
So, he grabbed a 24 x 36 canvas and some oils. He spent about three weeks on it. The result wasn't just a piece of art; it was a visual metaphor for the fear that by banning "Critical Race Theory," we are actually just giving people permission to stop teaching Black history altogether.
The figure in the painting—the one with the paint roller—represents America. Harris has been pretty clear about that. The red shirt with hints of blue and white stars on the sleeve isn't a mistake. It’s a nod to the flag. The road in the background? That’s the long, brutal journey African Americans have traveled, only to have the finish line potentially painted over.
Why Everyone Is Confused About the Terminology
We should probably clear the air on what we're talking about when we say Jonathan Harris Critical Race Theory because the artist and the academic framework are two different things that are now permanently glued together in Google searches.
Actual Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a graduate-level academic framework. It started in the 1970s with scholars like Derrick Bell, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Cheryl Harris (no relation to Jonathan). It basically argues that racism isn't just about mean individuals; it's baked into our legal systems and institutions.
But in the "real world"—or at least the world of school board meetings—the term has become a giant umbrella.
What CRT is actually supposed to be:
- An analysis of how laws (like redlining or sentencing guidelines) can have different outcomes for different races.
- A study of systemic power dynamics.
- A high-level academic tool used mostly in law schools.
What the "CRT" in Harris's painting represents:
- The fear of "whitewashing" history.
- The literal removal of Black figures from textbooks.
- The silencing of uncomfortable conversations about the past.
It's kind of ironic. Harris's painting became the face of the "Pro-CRT" movement, even though Harris himself admits he isn't some deep-state academic. He’s an observer. He told Artnet News that he saw a white woman at one of his shows look at the painting and ask why he included "Aunt Jemima" next to Malcolm X.
She didn't recognize Harriet Tubman.
That was his "aha" moment. If people don't even know who the "Moses of her people" is, then the "whitewashing" he feared isn't a future threat—it’s already happening.
The Backlash and the Viral Wave
When the painting hit social media, specifically after being shared by the group The Other 98%, it exploded. We’re talking over 11,000 shares in a heartbeat. It reached people in countries Harris had never even heard of.
But with fame comes the typical internet chaos.
Conservative critics saw the painting as a "victimhood narrative." They argued that nobody is trying to "erase" MLK, they just don't want kids being told they are inherently oppressors because of their skin color. Meanwhile, supporters saw it as the most honest depiction of the current American legislative climate—where over 30 states have introduced "backlash bills" to limit how race is discussed in classrooms.
The nuance often gets lost in the comments section. Harris wasn't necessarily saying "hey, everyone needs to read 500 pages of Kimberlé Crenshaw." He was saying that if we stop talking about the why of history, the who of history starts to fade away too.
Beyond the Canvas: The Reality of "Backlash Bills"
If you look at the numbers, the "erasure" Harris painted isn't just a metaphor. According to data from the UCLA Law CRT Forward project, there have been hundreds of local and state-level efforts to restrict "prohibited concepts."
| Type of Restriction | Common Focus Area |
|---|---|
| K-12 Curriculum | Limiting "divisive concepts" in history lessons. |
| Higher Ed | Restricting DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) funding. |
| Teacher Training | Prohibiting certain types of implicit bias workshops. |
Critics of these bills, like those at the ACLU, argue these are "educational gag orders." They claim that by banning the analytical tools of CRT, you effectively ban the ability to talk about historical facts like the Trail of Tears or the Tulsa Race Massacre in a way that makes sense.
✨ Don't miss: Dave Shapiro Plane Crash: What Really Happened in San Diego
On the flip side, proponents of the bans—like the Heritage Foundation—argue that CRT actually reinflames racism. They believe it teaches children to see themselves as "oppressors" or "victims" based on birth, which they see as antithetical to the American ideal of individualism.
Jonathan Harris: The Artist's Next Move
Since the viral success of the Jonathan Harris Critical Race Theory piece, things haven't exactly been quiet for him. He’s been in a bit of a legal and professional tug-of-war with the Irwin House Gallery in Detroit regarding commissions and contracts. It’s the kind of messy "business of art" stuff that usually follows a sudden rise to fame.
But he hasn't stopped painting the "times," as he puts it. His follow-up series, Pledge Allegiance, continues to poke at the same bruises. He feels a responsibility. He once said that if he could just paint pots, pans, and pretty landscapes, he would. But as a Black man in America who is "conscious and paying attention," he feels he doesn't have that luxury.
The painting was eventually sold, and hundreds of prints were snatched up by collectors who saw it as a historical marker for the early 2020s.
What This Means for You
Whether you love the painting or it makes you roll your eyes, it’s a masterclass in how art drives the news cycle. It shows that a single image can often explain a complex, boring legal theory better than a 20-page white paper ever could.
If you’re trying to navigate the "CRT" debate in your own community or school district, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the Source: Most "anti-CRT" bills don't actually mention "Critical Race Theory" in the text. They use broader language. Read the actual text of your local bills.
- Identify the Erasure: Are schools actually removing Harriet Tubman? Usually, no. But they might be removing the context of why she had to run in the first place. That's the "whitewashing" Harris is worried about.
- Talk to Teachers: Most K-12 teachers aren't teaching law-school-level CRT. They are trying to figure out how to teach history without getting fired.
- Look at the Art: Sometimes, the best way to understand a political movement is to look at the art it produces. Harris’s work provides a window into the anxiety felt by a huge portion of the population.
The conversation about Jonathan Harris Critical Race Theory isn't going away because the underlying tension in America isn't going away. We are a country still trying to decide how much of our own "ugly" history we’re willing to look at in the mirror. Harris just held up the mirror and used a little white paint to show us what might happen if we look away.
If you want to see more of his work or follow the evolution of this specific debate, your best bet is to look into local Detroit art archives or follow the legislative tracking at the UCLA Law School’s CRT Forward database. Those are the places where the "rubber meets the road" for these abstract ideas.