Timothy Birdnow

Anthony Watts directed our attention to this graph. Notice how poorly black people do at math:



Any education requires discipline, either from parents or from the individual (who probably learned it from his or her parents). Discipline isn't one of the black community's relished virtues, alas.

There is a strong emphasis among a lot of black folks on rebellion and acting out, which does not aid in making an educated person. https://atlantablackstar.com/2015/07/14/psychology-parenting-exploring-new-ideas-black-motherhood-fatherhood/

You have to accept the discipline of study and listen to the teacher, who should know more than you on the subject (otherwise you are not actually getting educated but rather simply going for a good grade.)

That's not to say it's true of all, certainly not! But it is a common thread in black culture. I would point out that there have been studies done on black parenting. The conclusion is that black parents usually emphasize "respect" meaning don't talk back while white parents encourage kids to explore their environment. Black parents are ten percent more likely to use corporal punishment on children. https://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/10/researchers-african-americans-most-likely-to-use-physical-punishment/ than their white counterparts. Despite the fact that such harsh parenting is implicated in reduced brain development. https://www.insider.com/harsh-parenting-may-stunt-childrens-brain-growth-study-suggests-2021-4

Well, if you are taught to not make trouble for your parents but not to explore, what will that accomplish? You're going to be uninterested in learning but very interested in having the power to make people respect you. That translates into rebellion and acting out.

And THAT translates to poor grades and a lousy education, or worse, a maleducation where the student thinks he knows so many things that just aren't so. (I had an argument with a black person who insisted the Republican Party tried to steal Kansas in 1856 to make it a slave state!)

So, we have a fundamental difference in parenting, we have a far greater tendency to be from broken homes, we have environmental factors (like living in poorer areas with lead-based paint and poor nutrition), we have a culture that de-emphasizes education in all respects and glorifies anti-social behavior (listen to a rap song if you doubt that), and so it should come as no surprise that black kids score poorly in math, which is one of the most discipline-intense subjects they will encounter. There isn't wiggle room in math; you can't bs it.

Of course that means it's just racist and we should stop worrying about it, I suppose. Why do black kids need math when they can play football or set horrible poetry to a beat?

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 08:18 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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