Berman James Watts, October 1997
An ethnic group or a family for that matter "specializes" in a particular profession primarily by excluding others. Such exclusion may be by assuring that a fund of esoteric knowledge necessary to competitive performance in such profession is passed only to offspring and those "adopted" into the 'guild". Optimal methods of learning and special attention from mentors in the field can confer advantage. But birth and favoritism do not necessarily correlate with talent, ability and drive. Those most capable of excelling may well be excluded. Ultimately a caste system of professions is enforced based on access. Such cultures remain static or slide into decline until more competitive external forces invade. (India, Japan, the antebellum U.S. South, )
Written communication, libraries and increasingly efficient communications technology enhance access to the "sum of the knowledge of Man". The Professions have long not been narrow specialties where knowledge can be hoarded only to benefit one's chosen heirs. Universities are scarcely the closed backrooms of guilds passing knowledge only to their favorite apprentices. Practically speaking the only way left for an ethnic group, race or clique to "specialize" in professions is by exclusion.
Where opportunity is putatively equal, members of undesirable groups entering the profession can be subject to higher standards than members of the desired group(s). If "accepted", different and detrimental treatment can be applied to discourage remaining in such profession or alternatively justify forced removal or limitation of prospects. As examples of what happens to those who stray from their "place" such individuals demonstrate the power (and duplicity) of the majority and discourage such effort among other racial undesirables. Indeed in the black community some professions and companies have become notorious for their rapid turnover and short tenure of blacks while whites of far lesser objective qualifications (less reputable schools and even lack of professional degrees) dominate the organizations and management.Under such conditions the example that white america finds most useful in properly "inspiring" young black males (who are in some cities as much as 50% jailed) is not that of the results of great effort and study being rewarded by ready advancement, but of such effort fitting blacks only for rejection in favor of less qualified whites.
Thus it is popularly claimed that black elementary and high school students don't study hard enough and aren't prepared. Such approach would postpones the issue to a far future instead of addressing what has happened and is happening to those who won such preparation under conditions that would have virtually eliminated every white now working in such profession. Such assertion of lack of black preparation contrasts with the effort expended in assuring continuing unequal public schooling. Despite an integration aimed at eliminating "Separate and inherently unequal" a decades long resistance has yielded schools that, where integrated deliver unequal results and, where segregation is avidly still sought, but now, by means other than law.
What other community of such limited resources has found it necessary to establish so many private schools at all levels? Morehouse, Spellman, Clark-Atlanta, Morris Brown, Bethune Cookman, Tuskegee Institute, Howard University and countless others are merely the top tier of a host of efforts at assuring black education in the face of white opposition. Once such opposition was openly codified in laws forbidding a black to learn to read or anyone to teach him. Denied such overt means of traditionally maintaining blacks in ignorance as an aid to suppression, more subtle methods have evolved. Now, the more lucrative professions where qualification and performance is reported through whites display a vast disparity in favor of far less numerous and less discriminated against "replacement' minorities and, of course whites at a minute fraction of black representation in the population. Such results expose pious claims of equality of opportunity as nothing more than evolving camouflage for enduring bigotry.
bjw