Why are African Americans Struggling with Licensing Exam? (Wall Street Rebuttal)

While recently reading the Wall Street Journal, I came across an article on insurance license exams that struck my interest unlike any other article. In this particular article the topic of agents passing their insurance license exam was being discussed. According to this article, Primerica is experiencing difficulty with minorities passing the exam. Their statistics show that a substantial amount of Caucasians pass the exam first time around, while blacks and Latinos struggle. Primerica’s solution to this problem is to revise the test making it easier therefore increasing the amount of minorities capable of passing it. In other words, they want to weaken the test, or in my opinion, make it idiot proof. Are minority’s truly idiots? What say you?

This upsets me on several levels. Is it being insinuated that blacks and other minorities lack the basic intelligence needed to pass the agent exam? Regardless of what the exam statistics show, this exam should not be weakened because some Primeria official can’t get his agents to pass the first time around. You mean to tell me that minorities can triumph through the toughest barriers this country possess, yet are not smart enough to pass a licensing exam? Minorities have invented innovating devices and become powerful political figures, yet they need an elementary level licensing exam to become insurance agents? Maybe the problem is not the ethnicity of the individual partaking in the exam, but the inadequate training that they receive prior to taking the exam. Maybe there is another subject that needs to be addressed. Why are minorities struggling with this exam?  

My thoughts are as follow. If African Americans spent less time engaging in empty informative activities, that don’t contribute to mental, or education growth or stimulation, maybe there chances of excelling through professional exams will increase. Becoming an insurance agent or financial advisor requires information far beyond the study materials. Understanding the politics of finance is essential. Exam materials and study booklets are designed for those who somewhat have an understanding of how it all works.

A study held by Nelson, one of the top research companies in the country, show that African Americans watch 40% more television then the national average. I doubt that incredible amount of hours are being dedicated to informative channels that can contribute to the understanding of finances and world issues. One is not going to clearly comprehend the technicalities of money, politics and Wall Street matters, while watching reality shows or music videos. This is not to solely be said about African Americans, other ethnicities fall into such a category as well. However, African Americans possess the greater amount of television usage. So, it’s not to say that African Americans and other minorities are not smart enough to pass the exam, it’s that some must direct their interest towards more informative materials and activities that are more essential to educational growth.