As many towns in the U.S. become more diverse, school districts are hiring diversity coordinators, holding listening sessions for students of color. But those districts have also faced a backlash from parents who decry inclusivity efforts as “critical race theory.” An NBC News analysis found those districts seeing backlash have diversified quickly, reporter Tyler Kingkade explains.

What is critical race theory in education and why has it become so controversial? We define CRT and explain its main tenets.

With many bills in state legislatures seeking to ban teaching of critical race theory, we reached out to Becky Pringle, a 30-year veteran science teacher who now heads the NEA, the largest teachers’ union in the country. Pringle says when kids ask questions about race, adults need to be “courageous enough to answer those questions truthfully.”