Why are conservatives against Critical Race Theory?

One of the points of Critical Race Theory is that even those who didn't own slaves did benefit from slavery. For example slaves were used to grow cotton in the south. That cheap cotton was shipped north where it was woven into thread which was woven into cloth which was made into clothing which was worn by people all over the country. All along the supply chain the various components benefited by cheap cotton produced with stolen, uncompensated labor.

All the components of the supply chain were parts of the economic system in which the whole country participated. It would be very few who could say they were immune to participation in this economic system.

The conservatives hate it when this participation is pointed out because it makes them feel guilty and they don't like the uncomfortable feelings of guilt so they project them on others. Most people participate in this system unconsciously and not intentionally and until their participation is pointed out and when it is  they have to make a choice: to continue to participate or not.

The saying "ignorance is bliss" applies in these situations because life is so much easier and simpler when my inadvertent participation is unknown. So in the Southern Slave states they ban the teaching of CRT because it does make people feel guilty and unconscious people should be spared the distress of becoming conscious. However, the conservatives are not exercising compassion but rather are attempting to keep people in the dark so that the economic system from which they benefit is not disrupted. These conservatives would rather that people be kept blind and stupid because then they are much more easily manipulated and, as they say, "everyone is better off." It seems that there are a lot of people who support this as books are banned and curriculums are censored.

Ignorance is bliss. And so it goes..............