In The Company of Smartness: Black vs. White Intelligence

In The Company of Smartness: Black vs. White

Brain Power Funkdafied. Who has the monopoly on intelligence? The answer will shock you.

by Peggy Butler

Americans enjoy having a wealth of information at their fingertips. Interested in knowing who was the first African-American granted a patent? The answer can be found via books, magazines and the Internet. Based on our massive databases, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who still clings to the theory that Blacks are intellectually inferior, right? Wrong. Welcome to Reality Complex 101. This organization is comprised of millions of Europeans who are convinced, that when it comes to academic prowess, White reigns supreme.

This asinine theory was depicted in the 1994 best seller “The Bell Curve.” The book’s authors Charles Murray and Richard Hernstien concluded, there is evidence suggesting “Blacks are genetically less intelligent than Whites.” This long held belief, remains one of America’s most disturbing myths. The Bell Curve created an uproar among African-Americans who characterized the book as literary garbage, cleverly concocted by two White males, as a gesture of racial superiority.

The Age of Pre-Civilization

Prior to the 20th century, this erroneous perception may have appeared true, based on the fact; Blacks were denied an education. During slavery, Whites felt that slaves were less likely to create problems if they remained illiterate. Sound familiar? Plantation owners were fond of saying, “The best slave is a dumb slave.” So determined were Whites to keep slaves from learning, schools were burned down, and teachers were sent packing. In putting education in its proper perspective, a few owners taught their slaves to read the Bible, but any education beyond that was forbidden.

Throughout the ages, questions regarding Black versus White intelligence continue to surface. If you ask the average Caucasian who’s smarter Blacks or Whites, you will in all likelihood hear a myriad of answers. However, An emphatic NO, would be the logical response, if the person asking the question was of European origin and the person responding was African-American.

Nonetheless, among each other, experts contend Whites are wholly convinced, they are smarter than the average African-American. “ Historically, this is a stereotype that is fervidly entrenched in the Caucasian race,” says Laura Morton, a retired English teacher whose roots are tinged with Irish and German genetics. “There are two things that Whites are absolutely certain of,” she stressed emphatically. “The first is that blond haired, blue-eyed women, are the most beautiful creatures in the universe. And the second fallacy, is, Whites are smarter than Blacks.” She further noted, “Although studies have proven that the latter is false and without merit, secretly, Whites still cling to this myth.”
For those who cling to the notion that intelligence is the result of genetic factors, this is nothing new. Traditionally, some groups are perceived as being smarter than others. In The Bell Curve, Murray and Hernstien ranked Asians as being the most intelligent race.
In accordance with their logistics, they assessed Asia and China as having the smartest inhabitants. And why shouldn’t they be smarter? Kids in Asian countries generally spend longer hours in school than Americans. But what about Blacks and Whites? Is there really an intellectual imbalance between the two races?

Coping with Racial Differences

In my travels down America’s Mean Streets, I am convinced that intelligence is simply a state of mind. Nonetheless, there are things about the intellectual skills of Blacks that disturbs me in comparison to other races. For example, I get discouraged when year after year I notice that few of the national spelling bee champions are Black. I also find myself getting upset, when I ask a 16-year-old to name the seven continents, only to have him respond sarcastically, “I don’t know.” Only to have a 12-year-old White youth recite them alphabetically, and in 15 seconds no less. Does that mean the 16-year-old has a lower IQ than the 12-year-old? Not necessarily. What it does mean, is that parents must embark on the awesome task of placing more emphasis on academics. Is that a thud I hear? Or the sound of brains evaporating from their idle cells?

I am also puzzled as to why African-Americans spend more time watching TV than reading. This is true of both children and adults. Such arrogant disregard for knowledge reminds me of a quote I once read: “If you control a man’s thinking, you control every fiber of his overall being.” Hello! Are you feeling me now?

Another theory involves environment. In homes where there’s an abundance of books, and everyone in the family is an avid reader, there is a strong possibility the child may develop a potent interest in learning. At the other end of the spectrum, if a child lives in a household where books are inaccessible, and reading is considered a chore rather than a pleasure, the child may show little interest in receiving a quality education.

But can intelligence be measured? Some people think so, while others argue it’s highly improbable. As for me, I say it’s all in the brain stem. There are smart Black folks and smart White folks. Feeble-witted Black folks and Feeble-witted White Folks. The only difference between them and us experts contend, is that when they pick up a book they read it from cover to cover, beginning with the Table of Contents and culminating with the Appendix. Whereas, Blacks maintain we pick up a book, simply to see if it’s worth browsing. Yes, I enjoy being in the company of smartness. Too bad the line is so short, and the good intentions a tad too long.

Peggy Butler is a freelance writer that specializes in topics that affect African-Americans.
http://www.peggysbutler.com
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