In The New Scientist Perspectives Section this month, James Flynn argues for a confrontation of issues surrounding race and IQ. His research into changing IQ scores over the past few decades (the Flynn Effect) demonstrates that environmental, not genetic factors underlie the lower IQ scores of African Americans.

This leads him to ask some uncomfortable questions.

A tough call

James Flynn

■IN 2008, African Americans face a mainstream white culture which tells them they have “worse” genes for IQ than white Americans – and that “irresponsible” sexual behaviour dooms well over half of their children to live in single-parent homes and poverty. In other words, black Americans hear that their current position is their own fault.

This is obviously shocking. But arguably it is worse not to face up to any substance there may be behind the stereotypes, and not talk about it and the implications for the black community. For the past 30 years or so, intelligence tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children have shown an average gap of 15 IQ points between black and white Americans. And according to government censuses, some 63 per cent of black American children will grow up in a family with just one parent, normally a black woman.

Searching for environmental rather than genetic explanations to account for the IQ gap or for the prevalence of single-parent familieshas long been out of favour, which tends to leave liberal biologists and geneticists in a quandary. As a political scientist and statistician (not to mention long-term liberal), I understand the dilemma. But I also believe that the only way to defend black Americans is to discuss things that are non-discussable.

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On Mission and Money, Economic Principles had some kind words yesterday.

The book appears at a propitious time. Just last week, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) convened a daylong session in Washington with a couple dozen college presidents in order to pressure them to spend their endowments more freely, especially on financial aid to students. Grassley often has indicated he would like to require the richest universities to spend five percent of their endowments annually, as foundations have been required to do since 1969, and last week’s discussions are thought to be preliminary to formal hearings. Last week, he sounded a slightly softer note, according to reporter Tamar Lewin, writing in The New York Times: “We’d like to encourage you folks to look inward and correct what can be corrected,” he told the assembled presidents.

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