By Lewis Loflin
IQ, a measure of cognitive ability, is misunderstood, often reduced to group stereotypes rather than individual potential. I prefer “talent” to capture what people can do—whether solving circuits, leading teams, or persisting through challenges—without the baggage of IQ’s group averages. The Left shuts down IQ discussions with cries of racism, pushing group identity over individual merit. This fuels race-based policies like affirmative action and DEI, which rig ~550,000–850,000 opportunities in jobs, contracts, and admissions (BLS, SBA, McKinsey 2023), sidelining qualified individuals for the “right” race. Thomas Sowell (2013) gets it right: culture and personal responsibility, not systemic racism, drive outcomes.
In Appalachia, where I teach, poor Whites face the same cultural barriers as Blacks and Hispanics—single-parent homes, welfare dependency, disdain for education. More Whites than Blacks or Hispanics rely on welfare numerically (*The Huffington Post*, 2014), yet no one calls it racism. When people leave “hillbilly” culture, they succeed, proving talent and effort trump group labels. The Left’s fixation on identity ignores this, perpetuating failure by blaming Whites instead of families and culture.
The Left’s group identity politics—lumping people into racial or class boxes—erases individual talent. By framing disparities as systemic racism, they justify affirmative action (~300,000–400,000 college admissions, Espenshade & Chung, 2005) and DEI (~100,000–200,000 private-sector jobs), displacing those with stronger qualifications. This “rigged system” undermines merit, fostering resentment. Sowell (2004) warns in *Affirmative Action Around the World* that such policies create dependency, not progress. Asians, excluded from affirmative action, thrive through discipline, debunking systemic barriers.
Family breakdown—70% Black, 50% poor White single-parent homes (Census, 2020)—is a bigger driver than income, yet the Left ignores it, accusing Whites of non-existent crimes. In Bristol, Virginia, a 95% White city, cultural resistance to education mirrors urban Black and Hispanic communities. Liberals control schools but fail to deliver, while Republicans neglect poor Whites who vote for them. Both sides play politics, not solutions, leaving talent untapped.
Group identity buries talent; only merit lifts individuals.
IQ tests measure reasoning but miss creativity, grit, or practical skills. Studies like Rushton & Jensen (2005) note group differences, but “IQ means nothing” without effort. Charles Murray (2008) sees genetics in IQ gaps, while Richard Nisbett (2009) emphasizes interventions, and Sowell (2013) points to culture. My take, from teaching in Appalachia, is that talent—individual strengths honed by work—matters more. A low IQ score doesn’t doom anyone; high-IQ types often fail practical tasks. Talent is diverse: a welder with a two-year degree can outearn a humanities PhD.
“The studies most directly relevant to the question of whether the B/W IQ gap is genetic in origin provide no evidence for a correlation between IQ and African...ancestry...interventions effect IQ and cognitive skills.” (Nisbett, 2009)
Family breakdown, not IQ, is the real hurdle—70% Black, 50% White single-parent homes breed instability no policy can fix. The Left’s push for outcome equality, per Murray (2008), risks tyranny, not justice. Talent, nurtured by discipline, breaks cycles of failure, as you’ve seen in students who escape cultural traps.
Liberals’ educational failures stem from prioritizing group equity over individual talent. Affirmative action and DEI rig systems, favoring race over ability, as seen in ~$70 billion in contracts to Black-owned firms (SBA, 2023). This breeds dependency, not empowerment, as Sowell (2004) argues. The Left’s narrative of White guilt ignores that more Whites than Blacks or Hispanics use welfare (*The Huffington Post*, 2014), and Appalachia’s poverty rivals urban slums. Their silence on family breakdown and cultural resistance—evident in Bristol’s White dropouts—shows politics, not racism, drives their agenda.
Asians’ success, despite no affirmative action, exposes the lie of systemic racism. The Left may soon label Asians “racist” to deflect blame, as their policies falter. Pursuing outcome equality wastes talent, forcing uniformity over fairness. Real education, focusing on math, science, and English, must meet students where they are, not chase unattainable equity.
My students in Appalachia—Black, White, Hispanic—prove talent shines with effort. Four displaced workers, in their 30s and 40s, aced digital electronics by blending hands-on skills and book knowledge, showing teamwork trumps IQ. Education must be realistic, teaching core skills, not “feel-good” fluff. Mentorship is vital for kids from broken homes—70% Black, 50% White—who lack role models. Communities, not the state, must guide them toward discipline and ambition, as I’ve done in class.
End affirmative action and DEI, which displace talent for race. Curb immigration’s grip on low-skill jobs (20%, BLS, 2020) to open opportunities. Reward merit, not identity, ensuring jobs and education reflect ability. A two-year trade degree often beats a four-year degree—IQ is irrelevant if you can’t apply it. Embrace individual talent, reject group identity, and mentor the next generation to succeed, as Sowell (2013) urges.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own. Data from Sowell (2004, 2013), Murray (2008), Nisbett (2009), Census (2020), BLS (2023), Pew (2023), SBA (2023), McKinsey (2023), Espenshade & Chung (2005), Rushton & Jensen (2005), *The Huffington Post* (2014), *The New York Times* (2007).
