Examining the Erosion of Standards Across American Institutions
America’s educational institutions once adhered to objective standards of excellence. Students and faculty members had to strive and were rewarded (or not) according to their performance, regardless of their backgrounds or ancestry. This merit-based system began to change with the rise of the concept of “disparate impact,” which gained prominence following the Supreme Court’s 1971 Griggs v. Duke Power decision. This idea argued that objective standards were problematic if they led to poorer performance by certain racial groups, and its influence has grown ever since.
In her latest book, When Race Trumps Merit: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence, Destroys Beauty, and Threatens Lives, Heather Mac Donald explores the profound changes occurring in crucial institutions such as schools, colleges, law enforcement, medicine, and the fine arts. According to Mac Donald, merit is being undermined due to the widespread acceptance of what she calls the “bias fallacy”—the belief that any underrepresentation or outcome disparities for blacks and Hispanics must be due to bias against them. She argues that these disparities are more accurately attributed to differences in skill levels, citing data such as the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, which found that 66% of black twelfth-graders scored below basic in math.
Mac Donald contends that claims of institutional bias are unfounded and that American authorities are generally free from prejudice against minority groups. However, the narrative of institutional racism continues to dominate, particularly among progressive elites in education. She cites statements from educational leaders like former Massachusetts Institute of Technology president L. Rafael Reif and the dean of Harvard Business School, both of whom lament their institutions’ perceived failures in achieving racial equity and inclusion, despite extensive efforts.
One of the most concerning trends Mac Donald identifies is the infiltration of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) ideology into the medical profession. She highlights how the American Medical Association (AMA) has embraced this ideology, pushing for “just representation” of minority groups in medical school admissions and leadership positions. To address perceived underrepresentation, measures such as watering down the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam and altering the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) to focus less on difficult science questions and more on social issues have been implemented.
The influence of DEI ideology extends to the curriculum as well. Mac Donald notes that the American Association of Medical Schools now requires graduates to understand the “intersectionality of a patient’s multiple identities.” Criticism of these moves, such as that voiced by Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, often results in backlash and accusations of racism.
The impact of DEI extends beyond medicine into the arts. At Juilliard, for example, the head of music theory has called for the examination and remediation of the “whiteness” of music theory, and the institution has established a “bias response” system for handling complaints of systemic racism. Mac Donald recounts a conversation between a black Juilliard student and Earl Carlyss, a veteran violinist, in which the student’s dismissive attitude towards practice epitomized how racial preferences can undermine the drive to excel.
The art world is similarly affected, with institutions like Yale University canceling courses on Western art and major English poets due to concerns about supporting “whiteness” and excluding students of color. Mac Donald argues that such actions reflect a deeper disdain for the Western tradition rather than genuine inclusivity.
Mac Donald concludes on a pessimistic note, emphasizing the power of the forces behind the push for equity and the reluctance of individuals within these institutions to resist. She asserts that absent protection for dissenters, the current trend of prioritizing equity over excellence will persist, to the detriment of merit and standards across American institutions. When Race Trumps Merit serves as a critical wake-up call, urging a reconsideration of the values that guide our educational and professional systems.
