Social-justice pedagogy is driven by one overwhelming reality: the seemingly intractable achievement gap between whites and Asians on the one hand, and blacks and Hispanics on the other. Radical feminism, as well as gay and now trans advocacy, are also deeply intertwined with social-justice thinking on campus and off, as we have just seen. But race is the main impetus. Liberal whites are terrified that the achievement and behavior gaps will never close. So they have crafted a totalizing narrative about the racism that allegedly holds back black achievement.
That is indeed the core issue.
Back in the 1920's IIRC, the left realized human common sense caused their vision to fall flat amongst the populace. They've been trying to "correct" human nature ever since (Antonio Gramsci & Paolo Friere come to mind, heck even John Dewey)
Why are they so afraid of reality?
Because they have built their lives around the assumption that all races and all people are interchangable and have no intrinsic differences.
It is the Disney concept of the Universe, encapsulated in the song by Joey Welz: "People Are The Same, All Over The World", taken to logical extremes.
People are the same, within bounds, DNA is 99% + the same. It is 99% the same with chimpanzees.
Most of our basic impulses are the same.
You can find people in nearly every race and culture and nation to emphasize with and understand.
But Leftists Progressives in the United States have bet their political power on the concept that no significant statistical differences can exist except as cause by racism.
The Left's entire existence has been crafted around this basic assumption about reality. To admit its falsity would require them to nullify their entire existence.
They will go to any length to avoid their assumpitonis invalid, including destroying the richest, least racist, most powerful and successful society on earth, rather than admit their basic assumption about reality is wrong.
This reality explains pretty much all the racial "realities" we see around the world.