And though African American children watch far more TV than their white peers, no link has been found between tube addiction and academic performance. But it doesn't mean he doesn't have a point. That isn't all that hurts us, as McWhorter, who was ridiculed as a child for his studiousness, attests. As a middle-class black parent, I've heard too many painful tales about friends' smart yet underachieving black offspring. I've heard too many teachers describe bright black students who douse every intellectual fire that educators attempt to light.
Parents blame the culture.
Not the dear, departed culture of sacrifice and hard work that encouraged African Americans to leap, stumble or crawl over hurdles. It supports married fathers like rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre promoting drugs and, in Snoop's case, promiscuity on their albums. For so many reasons. The problem with McWhorter's theory is that it's too simple. Because if black kids take what's best about McWhorter's message to heart, he isn't the only one who'll be richer.