why can't black people be smart, anyway?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>i'm a junior at a public hs in texas and i happen to be black, and i have those ap classes, but in a school where we make up at least a fourth of the population, i'm frequently the only black (or, if i'm really lucky, one of two) in any of my classes. and i get so tired of seeing all these smart asians, and indians, and caucasians taking care of business... and so few hispanics and african americans.</p>

<p>it's 2007. can someone tell me why, even though we were the "original minorities," we're getting passed up by those that came after us? it's mortifying to see that, for example, while the typical national MERIT semifinalist cutoff score is a 215 or so, the cutoff for national ACHIEVEMENT semifinalts (that's the "black" one) is a 190.</p>

<p>i mean, come on, 25 points? that's ridiculous. what are we doing wrong?</p>

2

<p>This isn't really an answerable question, mainly because there are so many circumstances that affect this situation. For example, is an african american who lives in bel air and goes to the ritziest private school and drives a bmw the same as a poor country bumpkin who goes to an all-black public school with horrible teachers and rides the bus? Obviously not. But to colleges, and the College Board, they are the same. I find it irritating that people use the phrases "black people do x" or "black people are y" because it is simply a horrible generalization to make. </p>

<pre><code> Black people get mad when other groups stereotype them into one massive group, but they do the same to themselves. No one would ever say "the white community", not only because it's not politically correct (i think) but because there are simply too many differences for whatever statement to be accurate. You never hear "the Asian community" or the "Hispanic community" used the way the "Black community" is always used. It's a really silly term.

I'm not sure where you're going with the whole "original minorites" thing. If you really want to be accurate, the Native Americans are the original minorities.

Anyway, I don't understand why you're worried about this. All you need to do is get a 215, or whatever your state requires, and you'll be a NMSF and a National Achievement Semifinalist. Stop worring about how many black people are in your classes and start treating people like people. Maybe they'll do the same to you.
</code></pre>

3

<p>i really agree w/ princessbell, it bugs me so much when people generalize, especially the group that is the "minority", caucasions don't generalize like that anymore, and neither should anyone else</p>

4

<p>I know it's not PC, but an article recently reported some research which indicates Jewish people may be genetically more intelligent....(<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/science/03gene.html?_r=1&oref=slogin%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/science/03gene.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&lt;/a> ).....I don't know what to make of it. I'm not Jewish and I certainly would not choose to believe that I'm genetically less intelligent! I also believe there are many different types of intelligence. Perhaps it is simply that those tests focus on only the one or two intelligence types exhibited by the majority of the population.</p>

5

<p>to the op, im with you all the way. same thing with me (except im hispanic). last year, in my entire city (and i live in one of the top 10 biggest cities in the country), there was 1, just 1 hispanic nmsf. this kind of stuff ****es me off too.</p>

6

<p>Just be happy that you people have an advantage...
Asians, they have the worst advantage... Majority of asians are smart as hell and they are swarming the United States like rats.
I am korean and I suspect that when I apply to college, its going to be harder to get in.</p>

<p>Just be happy. Who cares? Take advantage, get into a great college, get an awesome career. When you look back, you will be like lulz.</p>

7

<p>Intellegence is a very arbitrary term. So, if someone fails all of their classes, and can't tie their own shoes, but gets a 2400 on the SAT, are they intellegent? If someone can beat chess grandmasters, but can't keep a job, are they intellengent? If someone can play the guitar like Prince, but never graduated from college, are they intellegent?</p>

<p>Really, what is intellegence? You tell me.</p>

8

<p>"If you really want to be accurate, the Native Americans are the original minorities."</p>

<p>Wrong. When white people came to the U.S., Native Americans were the majority and white people were the minority.</p>

9

<p>I hate generalizations...</p>

<p>I hate when people are given advantages based off their RACE and not their actual circumstances...</p>

<p>For example, the two girls who got into Ivies from my school were hispanic and black...but lived in a literally million-dollar neighborhood and each had their own cars (Lexus BMW and a Mercedes if you're wondering...)...and they got free rides based off their race, and not due to their grades.</p>

<p>On the other hand, my friend lives in a very crappy/scary neighborhood (a girl was raped in front of her house a few weeks ago) but is white and won't get anything.</p>

<p>Bleh. I don't even care about people's race, I just think it's way more debasing to say, "You're a <em>, so you obviously need the help more than a _</em> person"...instead of like, "You come from a much worse financial situation, so you need more help than an upper middle class/upper class person".</p>

10

<p>i completely agree with your logic ^</p>

11

<p>Yeah, I agree with everyone that it's probably more of an issue with socioeconomic class than race. The stereotype that minorities are poorer and less well-educated, as a group, tends to be correct because of opportunity, or lack thereof.</p>

12

<p>Me llamo Ryan.
shimshimhey <--- haha. Really that bored?</p>

<p>@OP, let me ask you, why do you care? Why do you care about race, stereotypes and whatnot. As a korean, I dislike that so many people in my race are smarter than me, do I care? No. I just try my best. Just imagine the college admissions competition for me. Look at it in ALL perspectives.</p>

13

<p>Generalizations really are just that-general, you can't apply them to individuals. Take my chem lab partner-he just recieved an award for getting the highest standardized test score in the district-and he belongs to one of the OP's "underperforming minorities."</p>

14

<p>great point, SDMS12</p>

15

<p>no matter who is saying what, this is a very touchy topic. saying that one minority or race is not working up to "par" is not only a cop out to the "normal" academic and social standards. but its also ignoring financial and personal circumstances. people will always associate negative things with a certain race. people are biased, that's the way some things go. you shoudnt feel lucky that you get one other black person in your class. but that you have a classful of people who are as "intelligent", if you will, as you are and that your getting a satisfactory education.</p>

16

<p>Ask Watson. On second thought, don't.</p>

17

<p>I know this is going to draw some ire but I think a part of it has to do with the fact that the other groups have more involved parents and a society that says "go to college". Asians and indians value education for the rewards, whites were brought up to go to college. Society doesn't expect blacks or hispanics to do well, they don't have the pressure. </p>

<p>I know a wonderful guy who is hispanic and did better on the ACT than at least 70% of my class. While he was first generation, his mom kind of gently pushed him into it. So did his mostly white friends. They were all going to college, do you think he would stay around in a dinky town for the rest of his life? Hells no.</p>

<p>So be happy that you are an amazing diligent student who tries.</p>

18

<p>I've dabbled with anti-racism training and various desegregation committees, so while I can't speak authoritatively as a white person, I have some institutional experience.</p>

<p>Most sociologists would point out systemic racism and internalized racial inferiority as the main causes of this phenomenon. The cultural biases, familial experiences, and social standing of are all key indicators of academic success. Yet nearly all educational principles were set by whites in a white-oriented society. While the civil rights movement made racism inexcusable, it did little to deconstruct or broaden the focus of preconditioned institutions. Wealth disparities and cultural miscommunications are still intact and crippling for many students of color. Recognizing that this is sort of vague, it essential to understanding how racism still owns and operates.</p>

<p>Secondly, internalized racial inferiority is a byproduct of systemic oppression. When forced into inferior roles, people tend to conform to them. Though overt displays of bigotry are far less common, the cultural, social, and institutional voices of racism still ring clear and establish internal senses of place in society. Because of this, students of color tend to assume unconsciously inferior roles and perform worse.</p>

<p>Again, these are vague statements, but they manifest in things like cultural biases in tests (many questions assume that people are aware of the things the dominant culture, White American culture in this case, take for granted)</p>

<p>There are half a bajillion telling statitics about how racism affects education, but here's my favorite, from my own Minnesota Department of Education:</p>

<p>A 2006 survey revealed that there is no statistically significant distinctions among racial groups when asked in their freshmen year of high school about their college aspirations. About 75% predict that they will go to college across the board. </p>

<p>Yet white and Asian Minnesotans go to college at about twice the rate of black and Hispanic Minnesotans.</p>

<p>So where's the disconnect?</p>

19

<p>From my own personal perspective, I feel that it is a lack of family values that defines the future outcome of any underpriveledged black.</p>

<p>The cycles of welfare, single mothers and the like are hard to overcome.
The lack of positive black role models ( not professional athletes or hip-hop rappers ) impacts in a negative way.</p>

<p>We are all products of our environment..what we choose to do with it is another matter.
We live on the outskirts of a primarily black, hispanic borough. The contrast of what the children experience in the neighboring communities and school systems are astounding..
My township is lacking in minorities and single parent household for the most part. We have next to nothing in home rentals..almost all residents are home owners. No condos, few apartments/
Don't get me wrong, we have some good old boy rednecks ( whose kids rarely attend colleges ) My kids work in the summer months with kids from surrounding towns that are embarrassed to be smart and strive for higher education..the same kids are shocked to encounter the kids from our school system that do nothing that talk of their goals..where they want to attend college and potential careerss</p>

<p>but the parental involvement in the children's acedemics is what I assume to be above average. The school system places a lot of emphasis on prepping for the future..more so that when I was a kid.
The students in general want to excel and succeed.</p>

20

<p>princess bell, or anyone else getting mad at me:
understand where i'm coming from. it gets lonely, and i've become progressively bitter over time.
as for generalizations, i feel that i can make this one about my race b/c i read in a new york times article that blacks at every level of the socioeconomic ladder perform worse academically than other groups.
i want to know why.</p>