She cautioned the audience to be wary of the resurgence of racism in America. The Bell Curve is just one vivid example of a "warped and suspect science," which claims to talk about economic decline, but instead promotes a fear of all colors and creeds. Tucker said that she did not intend to stand and attack the book, but rather to "give the tools with which you can analyze it and fight [racism] back."
Her first point was that Murry and Hernstein, the book's authors, argued that IQ is determined largely genetically and therefore any group of people which score lower on IQ tests is destined to always do poorly. By further saying that blacks score lower on IQ tests, they present "the very definition of racism itself--for racism is the belief that one race is better than another."
The idea that "whites are better than blacks" was popular in the 19th century, when many white scientists came to the conclusion that whites had an intellectual advantage. However, that was then and more recent research has shown a strong relationship between IQ and environment.
It is true that African Americans do score lower on IQ tests, but in Northern Ireland Catholics tend to score lower than Protestants. This seems to back up an argument that a group of people in a lower social position have not been exposed to as many ideas and therefore would not do as well on a test designed to measure intelligence.
Murry and Hernstein recognize that there are a significant number of African Americans who are doing well, but they dismiss that by pointing out affirmative action programs and projects like Head Start. They seem to imply that even with all the assistance that is offered, African Americans have not been able to help themselves.
Tucker, on the other hand, pointed out that recent studies have determined that traits such as skin color develop relatively quickly in any species, but intelligence differences do not follow this pattern. The human race simply is not old enough for any group of people to be significantly less intelligent than another for purely genetic reasons. Race is more of a social construct than a physical difference between people.
The information on which Murry and Hernstein based their book is also questioned. It was collected by the Pioneer Fund, which had the goals of "racial betterment" and "sending blacks back to Africa." The data could be tainted if it was collected by a group which expected a certain outcome.
There was some question as to how this book could find a publisher (Simon and Shuster) and why it had gotten so much media attention. Usually, racists can't get in the door at a major publishing house but racism is on the rise. The Republican Party is ready to cut social programs and white males feel like they are "under attack." Recently, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynahan called the black, urban population "a new species." Rush Limbaugh trades in racist stereotypes, such as the "welfare queen." The Bell Curve only says what some people want to hear.
There has been a 12% drop in the income of white males who do not have college degrees. This is closely related to the revolution of technology, which in many ways has made the impossible seem possible. There was a time when someone with a high school diploma could find a blue collar job, which paid middle-income wages and provided good benefits, but these days are gone.
But this is due to changes in technology and not to any affirmative action programs. It is an unfortunate coincidence that just as civil rights advanced, the economy underwent such a dramatic change, but this is unfortunate for everyone, not just one group of people. "Ford is not laying people off because blacks are going to major universities."
Unemployment is twice as high for blacks than it is for whites, so there is no strong case that any jobs are being taken away from white males. Tucker stated that "you have a responsibility to see through the propaganda and see what's going on. It is easy to get information. . .Americans have strong opinions, but often are not well informed. . .we often feel that we have a 'democratic right' to ignorance."
She said that one cannot get information from a television news program (with the possible exception of the MacNeil-Leher News Hour, of which she is an occasional guest). Instead, a major newspaper is a much better source of the information needed to vote, write to Congress, and be a good citizen.
She concluded by stating: "I ask you to think about the country you'll be living in. WPI graduates will find jobs, but the demographics of this country are changing. . .The ability to grow depends on the ability to overcome the hysteria and prejudice based on ignorance. You are going to need information to do that and I encourage you to do whatever you can to fight racism."