Origin of the Racist Myth "Blacks are Less Intelligent"

Racists have long promoted the myth that Blacks are less intelligent than Whites or other races. We've successfully dispelled the fallacy of IQ test results which are often cited as they only measure very limited forms of intelligence and have a known cultural bias but the actual source of the racist belief long eluded my investigations into the topic. For there to be a claim of "lessor intelligence" it would logically require an actual difference in the brains between Blacks and Whites. Today we know that there aren't any real anatomical differences between a Black brain and a "White" brain. They are identical in all respects and while there are variations between different individual brains those variations, while insignificant overall, are just as great between brains of the same race and between different races.

So where did this myth originate was of interest to me. I believe I've found that origin of the myth which was put forward in a "study" done by the anthropologist Robert Bennett Bean, published in the American Journal of Anatomy in 1906. The following review of Dr Bean's "study" provides insight into his work and his turn of the century racist beliefs held by many in the United States.

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/03/14/on-the-peculiarities-of-the-negro-brain/

This exemplifies our problem with the White racists today. They have already decided that Blacks are inferior to Whites and/or that Blacks are racially more prone to crime so instead of allowing the data to lead to a conclusion they seek out criteria that, on the surface, appears to support their racist beliefs. When presented with the actual facts related to IQ tests or crime statistics or racial hate crimes (e.g. African-Americans are 22-times more likely to be a victim of a racist hate crime than a White) they merely ignore it or call it a lie because it doesn't fit with their predetermined bigoted beliefs. Their prejudice and bigotry doesn't allow them to accept the truth that Blacks are equal to them in all respects except for the fact that Blacks continue to suffer the effects of invidious discrimination and oppression from the White Racists. If they were to accept the truth they would have to admit that they are the cause of the problem and not the African-Americans in America.

 

What absolute nonsense. Obviously you are totally ignorant of modern psychology and neuroimaging.

 

I agree with you that blacks have the same potential as whites (and whites the same potential as Asians), but in reality there are differences in the IQ range between blacks and whites. Most people tear apart Bean but do no other research to phantam the reasoning behind this difference and thus the Myth stays.

I very much disagree for YOUR reasoning behind the differences---its convenient to blame whites but really that isn't going to help anything.

Thomas Sowell isn't afraid and his articles are worth reading.

http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2002/10/01/race_and_iq/page/full/

http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2002/10/02/race_and_iq_part_ii/page/full/

http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2002/10/03/race_and_iq_part_iii/page/full/

The fear to look into the issue is the problem keeping this myth alive---not the racists.

 

Yet white racists have lower iq's than both blacks and whites, how do you explain that!?

 

How do you define "racists"? My IQ is 131 (and I can post references from professional psychologists to that). Is that likely to be below the African black average of 67?

Where is your reference for white "racists" having lower IQ than blacks? And again, define "racist".

 

What are you waiting for? Let's see.....

 

From a sample of UCL students (this doesn't give an IQ result, but would be over 131 if calculated from the score):

Another test

 

lol, ur funny dude but alas, no credentials in this discussion.

Besides, I think you do a good job proving my point.

 

You're just upset because you are talking BS. "Racists" are intelligent and brave enough to deal with reality, instead of mindlessly repeating the "we are all equal" mantra like sheep.

And of course you fail to answer any of my questions, because you can't.

 

You nailed my thoughts about this thread. The OP can't seem to make any single comment about race differences such as race IQs etc without first calling anyone that disagrees with his slanted view on race as being racists. I too would like to hear his definitioon of a racist. Its been my worldly experience to clearly state that most of these so-called racists, i.e. jackson & sharpton are black in color, but I'll wait to hear from our own forum expert OP of this thread to give us his take.

 

I can't be bothered with pointless discussions more like.

 

What's this guy sayin'?

http://digitaljournal.com/article/327746

phsically superior...said this a day or so ago and i didn't see much agitation about his statements.

 

There are real genetic differences in the races, both physical and intellectual.

What were African peoples doing when Mozart composed, or when DaVinci invented, or Michelangelo sculpted?

 

I do believe those peoples were hunting for wild animals with spears so as to provide their clan with victuals. Oh excuse me, they're still doing that today.

 

You get a gold star. It's pathetic that we ALL agree on the physical differences, but many refuse to admit the intellectual differences.

The more the truth hurts, the truer it is.

 

Holidays is right. If our ancestors were smart they would have left them be in their own societies. We all would be much happier, I believe.

I suppose Somalia looks downright homey to the poor abused blacks living in civilization.

 

More of them were going to Arab lands in a far more brutal slave trade.

 

Alas, they were not and, the apple never falls far from the tree.

 

You have nothing to offer but personal attacks. Typical.

 

It's nothing personal, don't be so sensitive.

 

Jews and the White Slave Trade

 

What's your point?

 

It's not a matter of intelligence. Anyone can learn if they use their brain muscle. It's a matter of WANTING to learn, or making learning a thing to be desired. Is that what the blackk population is doing right now? Or are they being dumbed down by affirmative action quotas. the most obvious example would be the current community organizing affirmative action foreign student residing in OUR white house.

 

In looking at one article by Sowell I see the same problem find with Bean's work. Let's look at the following quotation:

http://townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/2002/10/01/race_and_iq/page/full/

What was Dr Sowell missing in his assessment? When reviewing IQ tests related to African-Americans cultural bias has been identified and being the primary cause of the differences in IQ test scores so what can we see in Dr Sowell's statement that stands out reflecting his failure to account for cultural bias in his statements. It is glaring and jumps right off the page. Has everyone seen it? If not it is easily explained.

In our society the primary role of "provider" is furnished by men regardless of race. Because of invidious racial discrimination in employment most African-Americans males do not have the motivations common in White males related to education and enterprise, the two targeted forms of intelligence evaluated by standardize IQ tests, and therefore they do not score as highly related to these two targeted forms of intelligence measured by standardize IQ test. African-American females do not feel this same level discrimination as much as African-American male because they are not expected to be the primary provider so they score higher. Whites, whether male or female, don't face this invidious discrimination so their scores are relatively the same.

How Dr Sowell could miss the obvious cultural difference between African-American males and females and why it would affect IQ test scores reflects obvious incompetence in his analysis. It appears that, like Bean, he has a predetermined opinion and isn't looking at the issue from an objective perspective. The cultural bias that effects the IQ test results is so obvious that anyone without a predetermined conclusion wouldn't have missed it.