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No One to FollowA NEGRO PLAYER, Bernie Casey, Rams: “Not until very recently have there been Negro quarterbacks in white colleges. Also, you must remember that systems tend to perpetuate themselves. The young black man is looking forheroes and there are no black quarterbacks to emulate.”*A coach who asked not to be quoted by name: The Negro seems to throw the ball a little differently. He doesn’t seem to keep' hjs Jorcarm as rigid. He tends to snap his wrist, and a pass thrown like that wobbles. It’s less accurate.”Sid Gill man, coach. San Diego Chargers: ‘T can just say that up to now there hasn’t been a Negro quarterback with pro ability. Take that quarterback down at Tennessee A. and I., Eldridge Dickey. He's truly one of the great athletes in college football but I couldn’t use his arm. He’s not a quarterback.”One football man — not one of those quoted above — said he just doesn’t think many Negroes are intellectually qualified to be pro quarterbacks. Rut none of the others who expressed opinions agreed.Lombardi: “There is no difference in intelligence,.. I’ve found difference in experience but not intelligence.”McKay: ‘‘Most of the Negro boys I have dealt with have had what I call a very high athletic I.Q. I think this ties in with their desir^rt'learn and get ahead.”A brief examination of what scientists say about race and intelligence is in order.Environment HurtsTN INTELLIGENCE tests administered in the United States, X whites have generally scored higher than Negroes. Most psychologists feel tl-at Negroes score lower, not because nf any innate- inferiority, but because their mental development has been impeded by poor environment.But the environmental explanation is not accepted by everyone. Nathaniel Weyl, in “The Negro in American Civilization,” says* “Psychologists have narrowed the environmental gap for test purposes but no matter how much the gap is closed, Negrq psychometric intelligence remains substantially lower than that of the white.”Dr. Andrew L. Comrev. professor of psychology at l\C. L A. commented, “What would be required to give a really definitive answer on Negro vs. while intelligence would be to take a large random sample of Negro children and a large random sample of white children, remove them from their parents and rear them in exactly the same kind of environment. The children would have to be given exactly the same kinds of experiences and training and you would have to follow up on the study for 20 years.”In 1961, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues said, There is no direct evidence that supports the view that* there is an innate difference in mental ability between members of different racial groups.”Also in 1961, the Society for the Study of Social Problems, said, “The conclusion of scientists is that the differences in test performance by members of so-called racial groups are due not to racial but environmental factors.”But Comrey said that while it has not been scientifically established that there are innate differences between whites and blacks In mental ability, there is also no absolute proof that such differences DO NOT exist. Comrey thinks the beliefs of many psychologists and sociologists are influenced by emotion. They want to believe there are absolutely no innate differences in mentality.It was more than 2,000 years ago that Cicero said. “.Men differ in knowledge, but all are equal in ability to learn.” Apparently, we still don't know if he was right or wrong.NEXT: WHY SO FEW NEGRO PITCHERS? WHY SO MANY
Newspaper Details
Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa, US
Wed, Apr 03, 1968
Page 22
Full Page
Clipped by
Joseph D.
NA, 16 Aug 2022
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