Newspaper Page Text
SEPTEMBER 29, 1956.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THIRTEEN.
Challenge Article Saying Negroes
Have Inferior Ability For Education
WASHINGTON, (NC) — Four
Catholic University of America
professors have taken exception
to a statement by a Villanova
University professor that psycho
logical-test performances have
shown that Negroes as a group do
not possess as much capacity for
education as do white people.
The four issued a statement dis
agreeing with the conclusions ’ of
Dr. Frank G. J. McGurk, associate
professor of psychology at Vil
lanova, who received his Ph.D. in
1951 from Catholic University.
He expressed his views in a copy
righted article in ‘U.S. News &
World Report,’ an independent
weekly news magazine published
here.
“. . . As far as psychological-
test performance is a measure of
capacity for education, Negroes
as a group do not possess as much
of it as whites as a group. This has
been, demonstrated over and ov
er,”.Dr- McGurk wrote.
Father John LaFarge, a pioneer
in Catholic interracial work, also
gave a statement to the N.C.W.C.
News Service disagreeing with
Dr. McGurk.
The four professors said that
“the differences that have been
observed in psychological test per
formance may be interpreted in
different ways.”
They pointed out that in the 63
studies to which Dr. McGurk re
ferred in his article, only in six
did the two groups have pre
sumably equal socio-economic
backgrounds.
“As was pointed out in criticism
of World War I test performance,
socio-economic conditions are
only some of the possible factors
in explaining score differences.
“It is well recognized that oth
er factors such as previous ex
perience, education, familiarity
with the text subject, motiva
tions, relationship between tester
and tested, knowledge of the lan
guage and native abilities are all
contributing factors.
“Only if all these factors are
paired in two populations is there
any hope of arriving at an ex
planation of the differences. This
has not been done,” the statement
said.
It was signed by Father (Dr.)
Bernard G. Mulvaney, associate
professor of sociology; Dr. William
D. Commins, associate professor of
psychology, Dr. Regina F. Herz-
feld, professor of anthropology
and D. R. Cottfried Lang, assistant
professor of anthropology.
Father LaFarge said that “no
scientist really knows what an
American Negro could do in a
fully integrated American na,-
tion.”
“The most that has been shown
is that in our segregated society
certain tests show the Negro in
ferior in his capacity for educa
tion.
“Is this an inborn natural trait
or is it a reflex of external
pressures?
“Until we have scientific stu
dies of Negro achievements in a
really integrated society (not just
integrated schools), we cannot
pronounce on innate capacity. No
body has ever seen a Negro who
lived in such an environment,”
said the associate editor of the
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national Catholic weekly review,
America.
Dr. McGurk said that “vast im
provements in the social and eco
nomic status of the Negro have
not changed his relationship to
the whites regarding capacity for
education.”
Father LaFarge said that “the
Negro is born, lives and dies in
an abnormal world. The more he
raises his socio-economic or in
tellectual status the more heavily
the abnormality presses upon him
because he appreciates . more
clearly the complete irrationality
of the whole system of segrega
tion.”
The four Catholic University
professors also said that few scien
tists would take exception to Dr.
McGurk’s suggestion that dif
ferences in test scores are not
only due to differences in socio
economic status.
“In failing to indicate what the
other factors might be,” the pro
fessors said, “he implies that the
differences are to be explained
only on the basis of inherited,
race-link intellectual deficiencies
on the part of the Negro, as when
he states ‘ ... we appeal to the
legal machinery to do what na
ture was not content to do.’ This
point of view is not shared by
many of the scientists in the field
better known than is Dr. Mc
Gurk.”
Services For
John Lentisi
ATLANTA, Ga.—Funeral serv
ices for Mr. John Lentini were
held September 17th at the Im
maculate Conception Church,
Rev. Father Harold J. Rainey of
ficiating.
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