This displays a fundamental misunderstanding of CRT.
And while we're at it, why do US-based affirmative action programs not distinguish between descendants of slaves and recent immigrants from Africa (i.e. poor American blacks vs. rich African blacks)? I hear that despite Harvard students being 15% black, the number of undergrads actually descended from slaves can be counted on one's hands.
> Is CRT specifically actionable?
Setting aside for a moment what is CRT, there are debates about problems related to actionability in different accounts of racism on the left. One critique of some accounts is that they are too pessimistic, too mysterious, and too inactionable. You might find this read interesting as an example: https://auth.jacobinmag.com/2017/05/ta-nehisi-coates-racism-...
> And while we're at it, why do US-based affirmative action programs not distinguish between descendants of slaves and recent immigrants from Africa
Some black activists, especially among those demanding reparations for slavery, have sought to form a movement around this question. It's called 'The American Descendants of Slaves' movement. If you Google 'ADOS' you can find movement websites and both sides in various debates
Why not do both?
> And while we're at it, why do US-based affirmative action programs not distinguish between descendants of slaves and recent immigrants from Africa
Slavery impacted affected West Africa as well. The trade eventually destroyed communities leaving them vulnerable to colonization and exploitation.
Some African countries have former slaves e.g. Liberia. Individual slaves were traded multiple times across different countries. Do you include slaves when America was a British colony or only after the revolutionary war.
I assume Affirmative action policies pertain to current racism not just past racism.