"... the researchers never said the applicants were proportional to the real world."   That's part of the problem with Mr. Kristof's article - he doesn't cite any hard numbers so it is impossible to judge the verity of the reported claims.  But - if the research examined an applicant pool that was proportionately representative (and if it were a rigorous study, I don't know how they could fail to do this) - then statistically the results should play out exactly as I stated.  Do you dispute that?  :-/

 "If you want more data, and you don’t, look up ..."   Gosh, now you're clairvoyant?!  It's not enough to be a 'progressive liberal'?  ;-)

I'd recommend to you some of the commentary produced by historian and economist Thomas Sowell on the topic of racial bias and American society.  It should be a real eye-opener.  (P.S.   Dr. Sowell grew up poor and black and knows from first-hand experience the effects of poverty and racism.)

"Why are you so defensive?"  I'm not.  Why so accusatory?