Skull Measurements, Achievement Data and the Destruction of the Public School System
In the 1880’s, a white anthropologist named Samuel Morton theorized that the relative intelligence of different races could be determined by measuring and comparing skulls. He then took to measuring hundreds of skulls and concluded that based on his results, of course races could be ranked by intelligence.
Guess who came out on top in Morton’s system?
Yep. White people.
The bottom?
People of African descent.
And when the evidence didn’t support his theory Morton just rewrote history. He concluded that, according to his measurements, the people of Ancient Egypt were white.
With the passing of time, it is easy to see Morton’s science as a racist imposition of so-called objective science on “reality.”
It’s a little bit more difficult to see the racist impositions of so-called “objective measures” upon reality today, but such impositions nonetheless exist. And, though they are difficult to see, they are not hard to find. Simply look at any form of measurement that proposes to determine invisible characteristics that are difficult to quantify, such as intelligence, and then designs a ranking and sorting system that concludes with whites ranked above people of color. Some measures simply quantify “reality” without ranking and sorting. Others ostensibly quantify, but actually translate “reality” and call it real just as Morton did.
Let’s try using this filter. Does it apply to poverty? No, poverty is a fairly straightforward, visible, measurable characteristic once we agree on a level of income that determines it.
How about achievement in school?
Now we’re talking.
What is it? It depends on who you ask.
How do you measure it? I have no idea, especially since I’m not sure what it means, but the superficial and all too easy answer has become, you use a Skull Measurements, Achievement Data and the Destruction of the Public School System | educarenow:
