Reply #5: Simply looking at the percentages, 5 of the top 20 should have been

[RaleighNCDUer]

black. If three, or even one or two, had been in the top twenty it could be dismissed as a statistical anomaly. But for not even one to be in the 15 slots for promotion, or not even one to be among the top twenty finishers, is simply outside the probabilities, indicating a systemic problem. By all means, look at the training schedule. But don't close off those promotions until AFTER the problem has been fixed.

This does not look at all like 'reverse discrimination' to me - it looks like flat out discrimination, against the black firefighters who were shut out.