"One thing which I think might get missed, is that my primary interest in the IQ gap is in using it as one (of many) metrics to see if we are achieving our goals of underlying equality. When the gap is shrinking, then we may be doing something right."

I read your entire comment but kept getting stuck on my uncertainty about which gap you're referring to here. When you say, "when the gap is shrinking..." do you mean the IQ gap? Or do you mean other gaps or disparities (income, wealth, representation, etc.)?

If we could magically close the IQ gap, I don't think much would change. Or rather, I don't think the *rate* of change would alter significantly. We'd still see the same cultural, historical and prejudicial issues that affect black people today. I don't believe that the IQ gap is a key factor in racial disparities. Not least because the IQ gap isn't large enough that you could detect it in a conversation, for example. For most jobs, a few points gap in IQ is meaningless.

If you mean the test score gap, this would be huge. But I think less because of any intelligence gains it would imply, and more because it would imply that the cultural issues that affected black outcomes had largely been fixed. It would mean black kids were studying more, were less likely to see education as "white" and that their home environments had improved. If gaps in employment and income persisted, it would be pretty definitive evidence of racial discrimination.

If we could magically close the gap in all other disparities, reaching Kendi's dream of equity, I think we'd fall somewhere between the two other possibilities. The boost in wealth, employment security, etc, would almost certainly improve outcomes for black children. But the cultural issues would remain, meaning that those children still wouldn't maximise the potential granted by those boosts.

Again, I agree with you about the need to be rational rather than getting caught up in ideology. And thanks for the clarification about perceiving me based specifically on what I say. But then, it begs the question, have I said something irrational or ideological in your opinion? If not why do you keep reminding me that we need to be rational and not ideological?

If I repeatedly pointed out in our discussions that it was important not to assume that black people are genetically inferior, even though you've never claimed that they are, or that some people can't talk about race without falling back on racist tropes, even though you hadn't, wouldn't you wonder why I felt the need to do so?