(ThyBlackMan.com) Which ethnic group has the monopoly on intelligence? The answer may shock you!
Americans enjoy having a wealth of information at their fingertips. Want to know what classic 1960s TV show Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a fan of? The answer can be found in books or on the Internet. Based on all our resources, it’s shocking to find anyone who still believes that Blacks are intellectually inferior, right? Wrong! Welcome to Reality Falsehood 101. This organization is comprised of Anglo-Saxons who think that when it comes to academic dominance, White reigns supreme.
This theory was depicted in the 1994 best-seller “The Bell Curve.”
The book’s authors Charles Murray and Richard Hernstien wrote there’s evidence that suggests, “Blacks are genetically less intelligent than Whites.” The evidence they refer to is a mishmash of statistics concocted by two White males as a gesture of racial superiority. Sound familiar? Based on slavery, no one is denying that our intellectual skills sometimes fall short. But to say we are the ‘dumbest’ ethnic group to inhabit the universe, is not only racist, it’s inaccurate.
The Age of Pre Civilization
Prior to the 20th century, the perception of Blacks as “illiterate” was based on the fact; we were denied schooling. Whites felt slaves were less likely to create problems if they remained unenlightened. The owners motto was: “The best slave is a dumb slave.” So determined were Whites to keep slaves from learning, they burned down schools and teachers were sent packing. In putting education in its “proper perspective’ a few owners taught their slaves to read the Bible, however any learning beyond that was forbidden.
Over the years, questions regarding the intellectual difference between the races continue. If you ask the average Caucasian who’s smarter Blacks or Whites, you will hear a barrage of answers from the absurd to the bizarre. If the individual responding is a person of color, they will say Blacks rule the intellect chain. But what about Whites? What are their thoughts regarding this topic?
According to experts, Whites believe they are smarter than African-Americans. “This is a cultural belief that’s entrenched in Caucasian ideology,” says Mila O’Sullivan, a retired English professor whose DNA is a mixture of Irish and German. “There are two things Whites are certain of,” she asserts. “They believe they are entitled to all things great and wonderful. And they assume their intelligence is of a higher caliber than African-Americans.” She further noted, “Although studies have proven that the latter is false and without merit, people of European origin still cling to this myth.”
For those who say intelligence is the result of genetic factors, this is nothing new. Since some groups are perceived as smarter than others. In The Bell Curve, Murray and Hernstien ranked Asians as the most intelligent race. Based on logistics, they said Asia and China represent the smartest people. And why are they smarter? Because kids in Asian countries spend longer hours in school than Americans. This I know! But what about Blacks and Whites? Is the intellectual imbalance between the races a myth or reality?
Coping with Racial Differences
In my travels down America’s Mean Streets, I’ve discovered that intelligence is a state of mind. Nevertheless, there are things about the intellectual expertise of Blacks that disturbs me compared to Whites. Case in point: A 16-year-old-Black male is asked to name the seven continents. His response, “Continents, what’s that?” A 12-year-old-White youth is asked the same question. However, instead of acting like he doesn’t know what a continent is, like our first respondent, he names the continents in alphabetical order in 8.5 seconds. Does that mean the 16-year-old has a lower IQ than the 12-year-old? Not necessarily. What it means, is, parents should place more emphasis on academics and its impact. Is that thunder I hear? Or the sound of brains evaporating from their cells?
Can you measure intelligence? Some people think so while others argue it is highly improbable. I say it’s all in the brain stems. There are smart Black folks and smart White folks. Empty-Headed Black folks and Empty-Headed White Folks. Yes, I enjoy being in the company of smartness. Too bad the line is so short, and the good intentions a tad too long.
Staff Writer; Peggy S. Butler
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