A 1966 study indicated that among the more than 4 million black American families at that time, just 5.2 thousand families produced all the black physicians, dentists, lawyers and academic doctorates in the country.17 Despite how exceptional such occupations and achievements were among blacks at that time, these particular families averaged 2.25 individuals each in those categories.18 That is, every four such families averaged nine individuals at these levels.
