http://snltranscripts.jt.org/76/76rblackperspective.phtml"Black Perspective"
Garrett Morris
: Good evening, and welcome to "Black Perspective". I'm your host, Garrett Morris. Tonight our guest is Mr. Julian Bond, and we'll be talking about the myths surrounding black I.Q. Specifically, the myth that whites are inherently more intelligent than blacks.
Julian Bond: Good evening, Garrett.
GM: Now, Julian, perhaps you could explain something to me. In all these studies comparing black I.Q. to white I.Q., what kind of test is used to measure I.Q.'s in the first place?
JB: Well, this is the major problem with these studies. The measurements of I.Q. which form the basis of comparison come from tests composed by whites for whites. The tests are culturally biased; it's not surprising that whites would score better than blacks.
GM: Could you give us an example of what you're talking about?
JB: Certainly. Here are some questions that have appeared on recent I.Q. tests. Number one: "You have been invited over for cocktails by the officer of your trust fund. Cocktails begin at 4:30, but you must make an appearance at a 6:00 formal dinner at the Yacht Club. What do you do about dress?
A. Wear your blue-striped seersucker suit to cocktails and change into your tuxedo in the bathroom, apologizing to your host for the inconvenience.
B. Wear your tuxedo to cocktails, apologizing to your host for wearing a dinner jacket before 6:00 PM.
C. Walk to the subway at Columbus Circle and take the "A" Train uptown."
GM: Uh.. I guess I'd choose the last one.
JB: I'm sorry, that's incorrect.
GM: Damn.
JB: Here's another: "When waxing your skis for a cross-country run, you should..."
GM: < interrupting > Well, I think I understand the problem with the tests. But the fact is that people have been saying that white people are smarter than black for hundreds of years. We've only had I.Q. tests for 20 or 30 years. How did the idea of white intellectual superiority originate?
JB: That's an interesting point. My theory is that it's based on the fact that light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks.
GM: < not sure he heard that right > Say what?
JB: I said I think it might have grown out of the observation that light-skinned blacks are smarter than dark-skinned blacks.
GM: I don't get it.
JB: It's got nothing to do with having white blood. It's just that descendants of the lighter-skinned African tribes are more intelligent than the descendants of the darker-skinned tribes. Everybody knows that.
GM: This is the first time I've heard of it.
JB: Seriously? It was proven a long time ago.
GM: Well, I still don't quite understand. We're out of time right now, but perhaps you could come back on the show again and explain it further.
JB: There's very little to explain - it's just like I told you.
GM: Well, we are out of time. Good night. < to Julian > If you could repeat it just once more...
< pull out, with SUPER: "It's 1977 -- Do You Know Where Your Children Are?" >
< fade >
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
