If you peek at a landscape through a smudged lens, your observations will be based on a distorted image. In the same light, those who endorse racial stereotypes develop a skewed perception of minorities. They do not see them for who they are— dynamic, diverse individuals — but rather as society has framed them. Consider the misguided belief that white people are more intelligent than Black people. This trope, which presents the group in a negative light, stems from the chattel slavery era when enslavers sought to justify the racial hierarchy from which they profited. Unfortunately, this belief continues to endure in the modern era. Claiming Black people have a "low IQ" is a popular insult, one founded on misconceptions about race and intelligence. Let's unpack this.
Race is a social construct initially created to categorize people into groups based on phenotypic characteristics and region. In 1749, the "French philosopher-scientist Georges L.L. de Buffon" coined the term race, which Johan Friedrich Blumenbach expanded upon in his 1775 book, Histoire Naturelle. Both scholars "recognized that all human beings belonged to a single species." Today, racial categorization has harmful connotations. What changed? Authors Fisherman and Wainer (1982) indicated, "the concept of race remained a method of simple classification for almost 60 years until it was transformed into a component of scientific theory defending slavery in the southern part of the U.S." The trope became a political device to justify depriving Black people of freedom and rights afforded to white people.
A statement made by former Vice President John C. Calhoun further illustrates this point. "It is not enough for the Southern people to believe that slavery has been entailed upon us by our forefathers," he argued. Inheritance no longer served as an adequate justification to maintain a system that abolitionists described as barbaric. To "satisfy consciences," they constructed a rationale. As author L. Scott Miller wrote, "when the abolition movement began to gain momentum, proslavery whites developed the theory of the genetic and cultural inferiority of the black race. In many respects," he added, "this effort and the apparent need to denigrate the intellectual capabilities of African Americans continue today." Under this false premise of Black inferiority, they claimed slavery was not a morally bankrupt institution, but rather a mutually beneficial arrangement. When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis claimed Black people "benefited" from slavery a few years ago, his statement illustrated the lasting impact of these presumptions.
Some white people use the intelligence quotient (IQ) in the modern era to suggest "the inherent biological inferiority of certain races." It's often heavily implied that Black individuals lack intelligence. On an NBC program, President Donald Trump claimed that U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett was a "low IQ person." Calling a Black woman who earned a B.A. in Business Administration and Juris Doctor "low IQ" isn't reflective of a formal assessment of her intelligence. It's not like he pointed out errors in her reasoning. Instead, Trump presented the stereotype as a fact. And this wasn't Trump's first rodeo. On the campaign trail, he repeatedly proposed that the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris, a Black and Indian woman, was not intelligent. Trump referred to her as "stupid," "dumb," "slow," "mentally unfit," and an "extremely low IQ person." He did so despite her earning a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Howard University and a law degree from Hastings College. Calling these Black women "low IQ" isn't some public service announcement to raise the bar for leaders, but a racist dog whistle under the guise of concern.
What is intelligence?
In addition to misconceptions about race, we should consider the ones surrounding the concept of intelligence. Ask any social scientist, and they will tell you there is no such thing as a perfectly valid or reliable psychological assessment. This means tests designed to measure intelligence or other constructs are fallible as their human creators, and inaccurate assumptions and biases are baked into these instruments. Gauging someone's cognitive abilities is not as precise as measuring a cup of milk or flour. At best, psychometric tests provide valuable insight but do not yield definitive results. Yet, far too often, the general public discusses IQ testing as a gold standard for assessing intelligence. This is ironic given that definitions of construct vary.
Indeed, author R.J. Sternberg noted, "There seem to be almost as many definitions of intelligence as there were experts asked to define it." Let's examine a few examples developed by psychologists. A. Binet defined intelligence as "good sense, practical sense, initiative, the faculty of adapting oneself to circumstances." S.S. Colvin claimed, "A person possesses intelligence insofar as he has learned or can learn, to adjust himself to his environment." V.A.C. Hennon said it refers to "the capacity for knowledge possessed." Similarly, R. Pinter characterized intelligence as "the ability to adapt oneself adequately to relatively new situations in life." Yet, A. Anastasi pointed out, "Intelligence is not a single, unitary ability, but rather a composite of several functions. The term denotes the abilities required for survival and advancement within a particular culture."
Just as there are many definitions of intelligence, many tests were designed to measure the construct. The idea of those calling others "low IQ" believing there's scientific agreement on what intelligence means, not to mention the existence of a perfectly valid and reliable test, would be laughable if their misunderstanding weren't weaponized against people. We often see individuals using the "low IQ" tag as an insult, perhaps unknowingly exposing how little they know about scholarly debates about the meaning of intelligence and how the construct should be measured and applied in real-world settings.
Next time someone accuses a Black person, or anyone else for that matter, of having a "low IQ," they should be asked some follow-up questions. Such as the definition of intelligence they used, the instrument they employed, and the known limitations. Are they saying that, aligned with Binet, intelligence refers to "adapting oneself to circumstances"? If that's the case, no one could accuse Black people of falling short. Against all odds, such as enslavement, segregation, and discrimination, they've persisted in this country–is that not a sign of adaptation? Outside any specific definition for intelligence, the "low IQ" statement is nothing more than a microaggression, designed to chip away at the dignity of a group of people.
Melson-Silimon et al. (2024) suggested that racial stereotypes served as propaganda designed "to support oppressive societal systems in the U.S. by both (a) sharing public perceptions and expectations and (b) by influencing the thoughts and behaviors of members of stereotyped groups." In this case, framing Black people as unintelligent serves as propaganda, designed to offer moral justification for their underrepresentation in leadership roles. The narrative seeks to influence the public's perceptions of Black people. White people who call Black people "low IQ" often do so to perpetuate the myth of white supremacy. And as long as people buy into that trope, they won't question why racial disparities persist, because they'll believe they're reflective of biological differences. Claiming some groups are inferior is more than unkind; it clouds the lens through which we see society. It hardens negative, racist assumptions about Black people, which in turn deprives them of equal social standing.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of Dr. Allison Gaines' work on Medium.