Toward a Unified Theory of Black America

New York Times ^ | March 20. 2005 | Stephen J. Dubner

[cyborg]

Black America.. White America... what's with all the separation? There's no more a unified anything about black people than there is about white people. I guess no one in academics wants to be a plain American.

[cyborg]

ping

[mark502inf]

Fryer has a huge appetite for advocacy but a far larger appetite for science, and as a scientist he won't exclude any possibilities, including black behaviors, from the menu of factors that contribute to the black condition

The politics & sensitivities are so imbedded into this debate that white researchers steer away. This guy may bring some much needed science into the issue.

[Talking_Mouse]

bookmark to read later

[backhoe]

I must be inhaling that Stupid Gas the pulp mill here puts out ( inside joke betwixt me & wifey... ) because if this writer has a point, or theme, I can't find it anywhere.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

What's up with "black America", anyhow? I thought this was "African-American America". I am soooo confoosed.

[Capriole]

What a moving story. This young man's splendid mind, his great capacity for work, and his background are combining to do a lot of good. His work is fascinating. May God bless him (as He has already done). I hope that as he gets older he'll return to faith.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

Interesting Read, Thank You!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

What is a pure technical economic theorist? Are these the guys who believe that economics is a pure science and try to prove their theories through calculus?

If he is, I had one of these #&*(!%@# in grad school. All he proved was that he could do calculus and other math calculations on the board (applause) and that he was very imaginative.

[GATOR NAVY]

Not just white researchers. Other black researchers don't want to touch the issue because they might get answers they don't want to see.

''The inclination to look for an explanation based on some sort of group-based dysfunctionality is an instinct I don't have,'' Darity says.

It's not a matter of looking for an explanation based totally on group dysfunctionality, but this guy sounds like he refuses to even consider it as a contributing factor. Fryer has ruffled some feathers by his willingness to consider all possibilities.

[jaime1959]

Excellent article!

[Popman]

I must be inhaling that Stupid Gas the pulp mill here puts out ( inside joke betwixt me & wifey... ) because if this writer has a point, or theme, I can't find it anywhere.

I think that Stupid Gas bottle is being passed around via the Internet. The point of the article is seemingly beyond my limited comprehension.

[backhoe]

I think that Stupid Gas bottle is being passed around via the Internet. The point of the article is seemingly beyond my limited comprehension.

Thanks, I wasn't sure if I was stupid, or the writer was. Still puzzling over the article's meaning.

[tickmeister]

Good article. The guy seems to be willing to address the obvious fact of black-white inequality. It has long been irritating to me that this subject can't be discussed.

In a free society, and in conservative circles in specific, people are evaluated and treated as individuals. (Unlike the practice of liberals.) It is entirely possible that the best mathematician who will ever live will be black, even if blacks in general are inferior to whites and orientals in that field. Conservatives will nurture, respect, and honor such an individual for his achievement, liberals will malign him for acting white. The whole point is that in a just society, individuals will be treated as individuals, not as members of a group. Thus, it makes no difference what the general ability level of their group is.

Bill Walton, during the 45 seconds that he was healthy, was arguably the best and most dominating basketball player of all time in spite of the fact that blacks in general achieve greater success than whites in that sport. Meritocracy should be the rule in all of society, not just sports.

Racial and sexual groups will never be equal. The sooner that we accept that fact and file it as unimportant, the better.