Shades of "The Bell Curve"

The city of New Haven discarded test results because no Black firefighters qualified for promotion. In defending itself against charges of reverse discrimination, the city argued that test emphasis on memorized knowledge had put minority candidates at a disadvantage. Had the exam required candidates to list Pat Boone's Greatest Hits or the last three winners of the America's Cup, the city's defense might have swayed even Justice Scalia (and me). But assuming that the knowledge being tested was job-related (and all candidates agreed after the test that it was), wasn't it demeaning to Blacks to suggest that they were less able than their White counterparts to absorb and retain relevant information? In finding for the plaintiffs (the White firefighters), the Supreme Court overturned two lower court rulings--not an easy decision but, I think, a just one.