Measured in Trump time, it took eons to announce — but the White House has finally taken the most important step it can to restore meritocracy to American society: eliminating disparate-impact theory from civil-rights analysis and enforcement.
Disparate-impact theory holds that if a neutral, color-blind standard of achievement or behavior has a disproportionately negative effect on underrepresented minorities (overwhelmingly, on blacks), it violates civil-rights laws.
It has been used in hundreds of cases, all across the country, to alter our society in profound ways.
Disparate-impact analysis has invalidated literacy and numeracy standards for police officers and firefighters in places like Durham, NC, and South Bend, Ind.
It has watered down cognitive-skills and basic-knowledge tests for teachers in New York City.
Continue reading the entire piece here at the New York Post
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Heather Mac Donald is the Thomas W. Smith fellow at the Manhattan Institute, contributing editor at City Journal. Her latest book is When Race Trumps Merit. This piece is adapted from City Journal.
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