This post is inspired by Doctor Chibuike's original and insightful piece on gender equality.
Click to read.
RACIAL EQUALITY
A Social Concept
According to an article published by the New York times in 1998, African Americans scored lower than European Americans on vocabulary, reading, and mathematics tests. They also scored lower on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence. This gap appeared before children entered kindergarten and continued into adulthood.
This gap has narrowed since 1970, but the typical American black still scores below 75 percent of American whites on most standardized tests. On some tests the typical American black scores below more than 85 percent of whites.
The black-white gap shrinks, but just a little, when the children attend the same schools. The gap is not minimised or completely closed even when black and white kids have the same amount of schooling, are on the same family income and benefits from the same family wealth.
It would seem that something is holding back African Americans from performing as well as white Americans, even when they have the same opportunities and belong to the same socio-economical background. How do we explain that?
A global study of the average IQ of various countries across the world has consistently placed third world countries in the bottom position over the last decades. Even though the study conducted by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen, in 2002, inaccurately or intentionally, reported a false data of 67 as the average IQ of sub Saharan countries, the actual number of 87, was still significantly lower than the average value found in first world countries.
It’s important that we note that even though the methods used in evaluating intelligence and abilities are still under debate and scrutiny, it remains true that on an average developing countries have lower IQs than developed countries. Some argue that the difference is due to the lack of opportunities and infrastructures, but the study conducted in 1998 in the United States, which I reported at the beginning of this post, might suggest that given the same opportunities ad infrastructures, blacks still wouldn’t be able to perform as well as whites (or Asians). So are developing countries lagging behind because of their lower IQ or is their lower IQ a consequence of their lack of development?
Fact is that, statistically speaking, African and people of African descents are performing more poorly and are advancing at a slower pace than their Caucasians and Asian counterparts; there's absolutely no argument about that, as we have world data to prove it. A look into the many things invented by white people, the advanced technology used in Asian countries and how high their countries rank globally if we consider GDP per capita might suggest that indeed these races possess higher intelligence.
Therefore, the racial equality we often speak of, which every right-thinking human should fight for--by the way; is a SOCIAL construct. It is sad, however, that some of the people on the vanguard of that struggle don't know this, and are often deluded into thinking otherwise. Hence you see them making baseless arguments, twisting facts, and labelling things published in studies as “racist” or “belittling” to Black people.
Admitting that Caucasians and Asians are more advanced than blacks-- a statistic fact, doesn't take anything away from the movement for racial equality. Truth is that while Caucasians and Asians may be performing better than Blacks, we are all SOCIALLY equal, because we are not prejudiced or bigots who think that the richest or the most technologically and militarily advanced countries have to dominate over others. Racial equality entails equal rights, equal access to education, equal opportunities based on capabilities, and the like. And that is what matters. Any other thing is chasing shadows.
Click to read.
RACIAL EQUALITY
A Social Concept
According to an article published by the New York times in 1998, African Americans scored lower than European Americans on vocabulary, reading, and mathematics tests. They also scored lower on tests that claim to measure scholastic aptitude and intelligence. This gap appeared before children entered kindergarten and continued into adulthood.
This gap has narrowed since 1970, but the typical American black still scores below 75 percent of American whites on most standardized tests. On some tests the typical American black scores below more than 85 percent of whites.
The black-white gap shrinks, but just a little, when the children attend the same schools. The gap is not minimised or completely closed even when black and white kids have the same amount of schooling, are on the same family income and benefits from the same family wealth.
It would seem that something is holding back African Americans from performing as well as white Americans, even when they have the same opportunities and belong to the same socio-economical background. How do we explain that?
A global study of the average IQ of various countries across the world has consistently placed third world countries in the bottom position over the last decades. Even though the study conducted by Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen, in 2002, inaccurately or intentionally, reported a false data of 67 as the average IQ of sub Saharan countries, the actual number of 87, was still significantly lower than the average value found in first world countries.
It’s important that we note that even though the methods used in evaluating intelligence and abilities are still under debate and scrutiny, it remains true that on an average developing countries have lower IQs than developed countries. Some argue that the difference is due to the lack of opportunities and infrastructures, but the study conducted in 1998 in the United States, which I reported at the beginning of this post, might suggest that given the same opportunities ad infrastructures, blacks still wouldn’t be able to perform as well as whites (or Asians). So are developing countries lagging behind because of their lower IQ or is their lower IQ a consequence of their lack of development?
Fact is that, statistically speaking, African and people of African descents are performing more poorly and are advancing at a slower pace than their Caucasians and Asian counterparts; there's absolutely no argument about that, as we have world data to prove it. A look into the many things invented by white people, the advanced technology used in Asian countries and how high their countries rank globally if we consider GDP per capita might suggest that indeed these races possess higher intelligence.
Therefore, the racial equality we often speak of, which every right-thinking human should fight for--by the way; is a SOCIAL construct. It is sad, however, that some of the people on the vanguard of that struggle don't know this, and are often deluded into thinking otherwise. Hence you see them making baseless arguments, twisting facts, and labelling things published in studies as “racist” or “belittling” to Black people.
Admitting that Caucasians and Asians are more advanced than blacks-- a statistic fact, doesn't take anything away from the movement for racial equality. Truth is that while Caucasians and Asians may be performing better than Blacks, we are all SOCIALLY equal, because we are not prejudiced or bigots who think that the richest or the most technologically and militarily advanced countries have to dominate over others. Racial equality entails equal rights, equal access to education, equal opportunities based on capabilities, and the like. And that is what matters. Any other thing is chasing shadows.
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