Uproar Over Sacramento School Science Project Linking Race, IQ

SACRAMENTO, CA — A science project was pulled from display at a Sacramento school after receiving criticism for claiming race is tied to one's intelligence. The project, titled “Race and IQ," was completed at C.K. McCatchy High School, the Sacramento Bee reported.

The project was done within the school's Humanities and International Studies Program, the newspaper reported.

In pictures of the science project posted online by the Sacramento Bee, the student wrote, "As can be seen, non-Hispanic whites and Northeast Asians have an IQ advantage of fifteen points over blacks, Southeast Asians, and ten points over nonwhite Hispanics. Therefore, the hypothesis is accepted: the lower IQ of blacks, Southeast Asians, and nonwhite Hispanics means that they are not as likely as non-Hispanic whites and Northeast Asians to be accepted into a more academically rigorous program such as HISP. Therefore, the racial disproportionality of HISP is justified."

The newspaper reported the "controversial project also included a bibliography and quotes from five books, one a text from 1904 called 'The Essential Kafir' that argued South African blacks were intellectually inferior to whites. The term 'kaffir' has since evolved into a racial slur in South Africa, where it is sometimes referred to as the 'k-word.'"

The project apparently contradicts the purpose of the HISP program.

"The HISP program is designed to promote cultural awareness and sensitivity. Often, it includes alternative viewpoints on history. For example, one HISP student said that while learning about Christopher Columbus, students also learned about 'the Indian genocide' and the perspective of Native Americans on white settlers," the Sacramento Bee wrote.

The project sparked mixed reactions online with some Twitter users claiming the result is actual science, while others called it racist.

@AnnieMcCarren wrote "Whoever allowed this project to be in the science fair should have their head checked." @tamela_sue wrote "They accuse science of being racist & try to alter it Few ethnicities already extinguished per science & history. Can't refute it."

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