A Song for the Genius Child

This is a song for the genius child,

Sing it softly for the song is wild

Sing it softly as ever you can

lest the song get out of hand

Nobody loves a genius child........

This first stanza of an insightful, yet painful poem written by one if our nation's most prolific writers, the great Langston Hughes, tells the day-to-day experience of millions of gifted children and youth sitting in classrooms everyday unloved, unnoticed, and misunderstood. These young scholars, inventors, creators, and artists attend schools with the expectation that they will be stimulated, challenged, and valued for their ideas, motivation, courage, and creativity.

For far too many, they meet adults who turn a deaf ear, leaving them to feel unloved and under appreciated, and worse who misinterpret their strengths for weaknesses, or deficits. For many gifted learners, being true to themselves leaves them open to criticism, taunting, bullying, disrespect, not only from their age peers, but also from adults : teachers, community members, others who should feel an obligation to help and to nurture their strengths.  

When they express their giftedness they are called crazy, too talkative, too busy, too smart, quirky.  If their intense behavior is manifested in quiet, more subtle behaviors and they crave more isolation, they are criticized for not speaking up, being too sad, being anti-social, or too sensitive. Some have even reported teachers and other adults being threatened by the intelligence and wisdom of the gifted, and responding as though the child or teen was a 'danger' to others in the academic environment.

Research about the characteristics of gifted learners in particular, the intensities and 'overexcitabilities' of gifted people and first hand accounts of what it means to be gifted, has provided more than sufficient evidence of the great needs that gifted or genius children have for support and understanding.


Hughes' poem uses the metaphor of the eagle to express the ability of these young people to 'soar' when given the support and understanding they need. Without this support, understanding and love, the very spirit, the core of what makes them who they are will be destroyed.  

So, for those of you who committed to nurturing the 'genius child'

• I encourage you during this school year, to do your part to show all children, including ALL gifted children in your environment that you appreciate them, value their strengths, and are available to do what you can to help them 'soar',

• I encourage you to look among ALL populations to seek out giftedness, appreciate them, and ensure that they have every opportunity to reach their highest potential, and

• I encourage you to actively show your children and your students through your attention to their intellectual and affective needs that you love the 'genius child' within. Anything less would be a travesty.

..can you love an eagle, tame or wild?
Wild or tame, can you love a monster of frightening name?
Nobody loves a genius child,
Kill him and let his soul run wild.
 -Langston Hughes, 1947


For more information:

Piechowski, M. (2006) Mellow out-they say, If I only could: Intensities and sensitivities of the young and bright. Madison,WI:Yunasa books

Teaching our Children & Youth to Survive & Thrive

Success is the process of learning and growing. It requires that the individual step out of line, away from the pack, and march to the beat of a different, sometimes distant, drummer.

~Dr. Dennis Kimbro, motivational speaker and author

(This post is a modified excerpt from my book: 'Bright, Talented & Black: A guide for Families of African American gifted learners' )

Every day, our children are bombarded with messages about what it means to be successful in contemporary society. The media usually displays success from a financial viewpoint, showing off the lives of wealthy, high-profile athletes, musicians, actors, and politicians. These people live in enormous houses, drive expensive cars, and only wear the latest fashions. Legitimately, many of these individuals have worked hard to accomplish their level of fame and accomplishment, and some of them regularly share their financial success with others through foundations, special schools, and other programs that they have developed.

Monetary wealth, however, is not necessarily the only definition of success that we want to pass on to our children & youth. Certainly, there is a satisfaction that comes from economic stability and monetary wealth, but there are other meanings of success that are perhaps more important. Dr. Dennis Kimbro, motivational speaker and author, defines success as follows:

√      Success is born by the pursuit of a goal or an ideal which will benefit others as easily as the dreamer.

√      Success can only be earned through individual initiative.

√      Succeeding means risk taking, courage, faith, and commitment.

√       Success demands the use of whatever abilities and talents are available.

                        Perhaps the great Frederick Douglass said it best- success is born of struggle. As a parent, you must help your child define success in ways that will be socially, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually beneficial to him. You want to challenge your child to develop a “success mentality” that will enable him to make the most of the experiences that he will have as he works toward a successful life in a career that holds meaning for him, as well as one that allows him to use his exceptional abilities for the benefit of others. Fortunately, gifted children have a strong ability to see success on a broader scale—how it can be attained in many different ways and then used to contribute to the greater good.

Talk to your child about her unique strengths and how focusing on those strengths can assist in the development of her plans for the future. You can also help your child develop a broader framework for success by exposing her to stories of individuals who are like her, who have the same kinds of interests, and who have been successful across many different fields. As a parent of a gifted student, you will witness your child moving through many different life stages and events which will challenge him in one way or another. Whether your child will emerge from these experiences successfully will depend not only on how he responds to them, but also on the type of support he has from family and friends.

Navigating through Multiple Worlds

In their quest to be successful, sometimes gifted minorities do what others may call “sacrificing their race,” becoming more like the dominant race in order to succeed. Some African Americans (and other minorities) who want to succeed in a predominately White society feel that they must learn how to “talk White,” “act White,” and use White social customs rather than their own. There are plenty of biographical accounts, dating back well over a century, of successful African Americans who have struggled with the challenge of “living between two races.”

Many African American gifted students report similar feelings today when they participate in gifted programs in which they are a minority—sometimes so much so that may be the only Black student identified as gifted within their class or program. The notion of “acting White” in order to succeed in their academic and intellectual endeavors is difficult for some high-achieving Black students to swallow, and they may underachieve to avoid these kinds of accusations from their peers. Not all high achieving Black students share this sentiment. Many Black gifted students enjoy success in their gifted programs, despite allegations that they may be 'acting white' and in spite of the fact that they may be only one of a few African Americans in the class or program.

“Acting White” is a concept that derogatorily refers to Blacks who use proper English when speaking, dress in a way that is different from what is currently popular in the youth culture of the day,  do well in school and attain high grades, and demonstrate other characteristics that some people attribute solely to academically-oriented White students. In a revealing study, Dr. Signithia Fordham and Dr. John Ogbu found that Black students who were given high-level coursework or placed in programs for bright students expressed fear of harassment for “not being Black enough” from others in their communities, especially from other students their age.

Although these kinds of negative stereotypes are sometimes associated with African American students who perform well in school, not all high-achieving Black students dislike being “the smart one.” As a matter of fact, many take pride in their academic achievements, describing how schoolmates and community members admire them and support them in their intellectual and academic efforts.  More recent studies share comments from black students who indicate a ‘scholar mentality’ and who are proud of their achievements. Despite how students may feel, whether negatively or positively about their achievements, the reality is that in the larger culture, high achieving Black students still face discrimination and bias at a higher rate than other students.

A sad commentary on the wider culture’s lack of acceptance of scholarly black students is read in the testimonials of graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who give evidence of having to ‘change their names’, disassociate from black fraternities, and even change their voices on the phone during the job hunting process. These young black men are bright, talented and black  (BTB) have graduated from one of the nation’s premier institutions, yet are still forced to disown a significant part of who they are- their names, their fraternities and even the tone of their voice. This is still America. Navigating multiple worlds is a reality for BTB students one that our society has not yet eradicated. Conversations and support from parents, extended family members, mentors, and caring educators are crucial for many students to attain careers that they are fully qualified for yet may suffer bias in the career hunting process.

Yet, we survive and thrive…

            Black students can still survive and thrive in America when they are ‘shored up’ by a strong circle of support made up of parents, extended family members, religious leaders who understand their exceptional capacities, intense emotions, perfectionistic tendencies and need for academically challenging schooling. These students can also survive when they have opportunities to engage in conversations and problem solving with their intellectual peers. Thriving is also enhanced when they are accepted and valued for being the exceptional individual they are without fear of bias and discrimination exacted towards them just because of the color of their skin.        

            Bright, Talented and Black students have a better chance of thriving when we advocate for them and encourage them to be the exceptional individuals they are. Our history as a people in this country provides countless biographical accounts of exemplary African Americans, male and female, who have made great contributions to their communities, this nation and the world. Most of these individuals came from very humble beginnings and faced unbelievable odds and yet, accomplished their goals – thus, they survived and thrived. They beat the odds, they dispelled the myths, and disproved the stereotypes. In a study of achieving high school students, one student responded to a question her environment by saying this: ‘When people see my home and the surroundings, they’d expect me to be of low education or incapable of educational success, because let’s face it, that’s the unavoidable stereotype. Therefore, for me to be doing so well in school is an extreme achievement. My environment encourages me to be successful in school in order to prove the stereotypes wrong’.

            Our children have within them everything they need to be successful, be satisfied with their accomplishments, and contribute to society in unique and meaningful ways. They have the gifts and talents that will enable them to achieve great things. They are depending on us to support them, listen to their needs, accept them, and help them become the exceptional individuals they were born to be. They are counting on us to advocate for them by ensuring that all resources that should be made available are where they need them, when they need them. They believe in us and expect us to believe in them. Surviving and thriving in American society is what they have the potential to do—together we can make sure that happens for each of them.

Joy Lawson Davis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. For permission to reprint, please contact me: profjoy1022@gmail.com

For further reading:

Grantham, T.C., Ford, D.Y., Henfield, M.S., Scott, M.T., Harmon, D.A., Porcher, S., & Price, C. (Eds.) (2011). Gifted and Advanced Black Students in School: An Anthology of Critical Works. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press.

On the Outside Looking In:Making a place for ALL gifted learners in Gifted Education

I've had a very, very exciting summer!! Shared some wonderful, restful times at home relaxing in the 'country' with family, slept late, hosted a birthday cookout, traveled up north, had time to rest and renew my mind, body & spirit.  Earlier this summer I had the distinct pleasure of sharing the  luncheon keynote speech at the Annual SENG Conference in Milwaukee. I was so moved by my experiences at SENG! The group was warm and very receptive to my message regarding our need to advocate more for African American and other diverse groups of gifted learners and to empower their families to learn more about gifted education and the needs of their gifted children. A few weeks ago, I received word that I won the election for an at-large seat on the NAGC Board of Directors...I'm so humbled and pleased to be able to serve. In particular, I look forward to bringing the needs of diverse gifted learners to the center of our conversations at NAGC during my tenure on the board. I also visited Duke University to work w/ a very special advocate of diverse learners and tireless scholar, Dr. Margaret Gayle. At Duke, I presented to educators and families- it was a great experience.

Just this weekend I visited Garland, Texas to work with educators helping them learn more about the challenges of Bright, Talented & Black students and empowering the families of these students. The highlight of my day in Garland was the evening session when  entire families: mothers, fathers, grandparents, young children and teens alike poured into the Curtis Culwell Arena to hear the research and practical advice designed to enhance the lives of their BRIGHT, TALENTED AND BLACK children. After the session, parents and children swarmed around me to express their gratitude and share their individual stories. The students were bright-eyed and enthusiastic, even on a Friday evening in a lecture hall..they were just as engaged as their parents. Some parents told me that it was as if I was right in their home with them and 'knew' their children and their experience personally...Children came to have their books signed and others to have me sign their 'save the date' notes sent by the district earlier this year. They had held on to them and brought the notes with them to the evening session.  I share all of this not to boast but to inform, empower and enlighten.

There are countless numbers of gifted learners in communities all across America who know that they are intelligent, creative, humorous, intense, quirky, compassionate, and special in many ways. Some of these children are already in specialized schools and classes for gifted learners- but many are not. (Unfortunately, national data indicates that African American, Hispanic American, Native American and low income learners across ethnic groups are usually NOT served at the same level as their Anglo American peers). Those students who are not in these gifted education classes and schools know who they are, they're just waiting for someone to recognize their 'uniqueness', speak up, and advocate for them to have access to the specialized 'gifted education and advanced academic' services.

Some of these children and youth - through no fault of their own, live in the most challenging of life circumstances with limited resources. They live in settings where adults are so pre-occupied with day-to-day existence concerns they have little or no time, energy, or heart left at the end of it all to inquire as to why their 'bright' child is having to repetitiously go through materials, is bored in school, may be getting into trouble, or seems to have no outlet in the school day for their brilliance. Others may come from families with fewer day-to-day concerns, but may still find it hard to be fairly evaluated and provided access to gifted services. These children and teens have the same inclinations, desires to learn, are just as curious, have as many questions, and have dreams to soar just as their peers IN those special programs do. Unfortunately for too many of these students- they remain on the OUTSIDE LOOKING IN. 

There's so much work to be done to make gifted education services equitable and accessible to students from all backgrounds who deserve to be IN special classes with culturally responsive gifted education-trained teachers, special schools, academies, summer programs,  and early college/university settings. 

As we begin this new academic year, I  challenge each reader, whether you are a parent, community member, or educator, to please do your part to speak up and increase your advocacy students who should have access to gifted education services that allow them to explore, question, create, demonstrate their special empathy, learn at their own level, and be self-fulfilled.

Please join me and others as we increase our advocacy efforts on behalf of those yet to be identified gifted learners who for too long have been 'on the outside looking in'. They deserve the same opportunities as others, don't you agree?

"It starts with the premise that talent lies in every American community..and then, puts that talent in the way of opportunity. It's as simple and as powerful as that"

-The Honorable Governor Deval L. Patrick, 71st Gov. of Massachusetts

{PLEASE CONTINUE READING THIS BLOG, COMMENTING AND SHARING IT WITH OTHERS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A GUEST BLOGGER, PLEASE LET ME KNOW- I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU~ DR. DAVIS}

BRUSHING UP ON YOUR ADVOCACY SKILLS: SUMMER READING FOR PARENTS/FAMILIES

We often think of summer as a time for students to take a break, explore other non-academic interests, go on vacation, visit family and pursue other settings. While some of your children and teens are involved in camps, enrichment programs, and doing their required summer reading, as parents of gifted children, summer can also be a time that you spend ‘brushing up’ on your advocacy skills. With national statistics ‘screaming’ underrepresentation of black, Hispanic and native American children in gifted programs, I know that one of the best ways to address this national embarrassment is through improved parent and family advocacy.

My book, ‘Bright, Talented & Black: A guide for families of African American Gifted Learners’ was written specifically to help the African American community become more aware of gifted services and the benefits of these services for their high ability students. Since its release in 2011, the book has taken on a new life as a professional development tool for educators as well as an advocacy tool for parents. (By the way, my book has an extensive advocate’s vocabulary in the appendix. Words that all parents of gifted learners should know).

I’m excited about having educators from local districts, private schools, charter schools and university professors using my book to educate, enlighten and improve access for culturally diverse children of all groups to Gifted Programs.

I’m pleased to have the educators on board with this issue, however, I want parents and families to understand that YOUR ROLE as advocates is crucial in beginning to change the course of education in general for all diverse populations, but particularly for changing the complexion, the focus, the emphasis in public-funded gifted programs nationwide!!

To do this, parents & families need to be WELL INFORMED. My book and others in the field are written for this purpose. In addition to a great number of books, websites, blogsites also provide tremendous resources to parents everyday. These resources are available but only when we know what to look for.

I make it my business weekly if not daily, to check out resources so that I can recommend them to you. I’ve come upon a couple of very exciting blogsites recently that I MUST pass on to others. I’ve listed the blog sites below and recommend them as:

SUMMER READING & EXPLORING FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES OF GIFTED CHILDREN

Please visit www.collegeprepready.com created by an ingenious, highly gifted African American student - Ashley Hill, CEO , College Prep Ready.

Other Blogs & Websites to Visit:

Hoagies gifted website

www.hoagiesgifted.org

Bright, Talented & Black: papers, links, other resources

www.brighttalentedblack.com

NAGC Parenting Page

http://www.nagc.org/welcomeparents.aspx

Social Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG)

http://www.sengifted.org/about-seng

Great Books To Read: 

‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell  

‘It Worked for Me’ by Colin Powell

‘A Hand to Guide Me’  by Denzel Washington

Gifted students from diverse backgrounds NEED PARENT ADVOCATES, MENTORS, SUPPORT SYSTEMS that will help them to reach their highest potential. They need you to be involved at the  local level with schools and district administrations. They need you to attend meetings, volunteer for committees and SPEAK UP ON THEIR BEHALF!!

Well, I’m off for a few weeks of rest, and to present at a couple of conferences! I’ll join you back here on this blogsite in August. Please continue to share this blog with others and network to improve access to advanced instruction and gifted program services for all  culturally diverse learners!

We're in this together!! JLD

Helping parents of Black gifted children navigate the maze: The lifelong commitment of mentoring

This week's guest blogger is Tiombe-bisa Kendrick, Member of the NAGC's Diversity & Equity Committee.  Tiombe is also on the Board of Directors of SENG (Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted). She works as a school psychologist who works in a district that serves many students from challenging life situations. She tells a touching story here of one young man she met, prior to his birth.



While talking with a profoundly gifted black male recently, I inquired about his future career goals. I have been acquainted with this child since his mother gave birth to him as a teenager eleven short years ago. Although this young man was born into what many would be quick to label as adverse circumstances, it seems this child was destined to excel. Prior to his birth,  his mother attended a local school designated for students who were parents. As it would turn out, his mother’s enrollment in this school was probably one of the best things she could do for his early childhood development. As a participant in the program, she was required to enroll this young man in the school’s early childhood development center which was housed on the same campus as her school. He attended this program from infancy to age three. During those three years, I believe he was exposed to language stimulation, cognitive stimulation, and activities that were critical for the development of young children.

This school also provided the mother with services such as parenting skills, supervised bonding during the school day, nutrition counseling, and medical services.   As a young preschool age child, I could remember being shocked about his ability to correctly pronounce the scientific names of dinosaurs. In the primary grades, teachers actually considered referring him to special education due to some mild behavior challenges. Looking back now, I believe these minor behavior challenges were most likely manifestations of his boredom in the classroom. I also remember some years ago I was in a local book store with this child and his mother. I found it fascinating that he seated himself with a book in the children’s section of the book store and began reading. I was shocked because neither his mother or I realized he could read. I realized at this moment, I would have to remain in this child’s life forever, if it meant his entire lifetime.

Fast forward eleven years. This child is now a rising sixth grade student. I strongly believe career planning should occur prior to enrolling in high school. I also feel very deeply that early career planning is critical for the lives of gifted students from low socioeconomic and culturally diverse backgrounds. He informed me that he loves nature and wants to become a scientist that involves dealing with nature. His revelations regarding his career goals and areas of passion engrossed me into deep thought. I began to ponder about the barriers and challenges this student would surely encounter on his educational journey.

As a school psychologist, I also recognized that he was also approaching adolescence which has many challenges of its own and would benefit from attendance at a middle school that could meet his myriad of needs including those related to his intellectual abilities. Soon thereafter, his mother called to consult me about a school she was considering enrolling him in for the upcoming school year. I was very familiar with the single gender school which has a small student-teacher ratio and a reputation for academic rigor and educational excellence. Silently I thought to myself, God is looking out for this young man as this really is the type of school he needed at this exact point in his development. I will be in attendance with  him and his mother at his upcoming school orientation. As a result of this experience, I have  learned that mentoring another person is a life commitment. I now must prepare this student and mother for the grueling and competitive worlds of middle school, high school, and college.

I will begin to educate this mother and student about national talent searches, national math and science young scholars programs, and get them familiar with terms such as AP classes, dual enrollment classes, and acceleration. Everyday I am so grateful that I am able to assist parents of gifted Black children navigate what often seems like a continuously confusing maze called ‘an equitable and excellent education’.

By :

Tiombe-Bisa Kendrick, S.S.P., NCSP

Nationally Certified School Psychologist

tiombe.kendrick@gmail.com

Join Tiombe & I at the SENG Annual convention next month in Milwaukee:

http://www.sengifted.org/programs/conferences/milwaukee-2012-conference

{IN ADDITION TO THE DIRE NEED FOR COMMITTED MENTORS, ANOTHER MESSAGE IN THIS POST IS THAT GIFTED CHILDREN ARE EVERYWHERE AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT TURN AWAY FROM OUR TEEN POPULATION AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEED US THE MOST. JLD}

Rising Above the ‘Triple Quandary’ of Being Young, Gifted & Culturally Diverse: Celebrating the Strengths of Diverse Gifted Learners

{This is post is dedicated to my brother, the late James Robert Lawson, Jr. whose birthday is today--one of the most  gifted people I have ever met...whose strengths were often overlooked, and thus, his gifts never fully developed. I know you're watching, Jimmy, and I hope I'm making you proud}

As a young man, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was identified as a ‘gifted’ by school officials and embraced by community leaders who helped to provide resources to assist DuBois as he attended a predominately white, affluent high school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Du Bois, the son of a single mother, excelled in the school environment, published his first writings early, and became well known within the community (Lewis, 1993).

In 1890, Du Bois was the first African American to earn a graduate degree from Harvard University. While he excelled and was successful as a student and young leader, he was often challenged by his ‘double consciousness’, that of ’being an American and being a Negro’ at the same time.  I would daresay that part of his struggle was also that he was profoundly gifted and functioning in a predominately white environment posed certain challenges for the young black scholar.  In his own words, DuBois noted:

“one ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings, two warring souls in one dark body, whose ‘dogged strength’ alone keep it from being asunder”

Many years later, Dr. A. Wade Boykin, noted African American scholar, wrote and provided some clarification of this ‘double consciousness’ as he researched the challenges faced by many African American students who find themselves having to cope with the oppression of the minority experience in America, live in mainstream society, and maintain their black legacy and traditions (Boykin, 1996). Boykin’s ‘triple quandary’ theory described a complex existence of these young people- likening their condition to a quandary- which is defined as a ‘dilemma, predicament, jam, or a sticky situation’.

These students often find themselves often having to live in three worlds simultaneously: Being a member of an oppressed culturally diverse/minority group; being gifted; and being a participant in mainstream society. As challenging as this ‘triple quandary’ existence appears to be—there is documentation that some minority group learners have also shared that they possess their own forms of ‘dogged strength’ characterized by a strong sense of identity/purpose, ability to rise above negative circumstances, and have a confidence that enables them to self-actualize, envisioning themselves as positive and successful in the future. Students who have shared their unique abilities to succeed despite external circumstances and biases they face on a regular basis - appear to have some traits in common (Davis, 2007; Grantham, 2002; Hrabowski, Maton, & Greif,1998):

Ø  they have a family member or other person who has been a strong source of support;

Ø  they have found a peer from a similar community with similar goals;

Ø  they participated in an advanced educational program or had a mentor; and

Ø  they are often encouraged by their circumstances to ‘prove the stereotypes wrong’.

This is a verbatim quote from a successful gifted high school female living under challenging circumstances. Her words demonstrate an exceptional confidence in her ability to survive and rise above her day-to-day circumstances.  

‘Being that my home environment is not as lavish as some of my peers, I feel that it keeps my self-image as an achieving student alive. When people see my home and..surroundings, they’d expect me to be of low education or incapable of educational success, because let’s face it, that’s the unavoidable stereotype….my environment encourages me to be successful in school in order to prove the stereotypes wrong’ (Davis, 2007).

An APPEAL to Parents, Families, Community leaders & School Personnel-

Each of you plays a critical role in the success of our students. In all communities are countless numbers of highly creative, intellectually gifted young people, who are looking for someone to believe in them. Someone to believe that they are ‘wise beyond their years’, and they have the ‘creativity and courage’ to work through the daily challenges. They are looking for someone who is willing to provide opportunities that match with their abilities & needs.

I encourage you to advocate and create programs at schools and in the community where they can interact with students who look like them and share the same interests. I encourage you to support their dreams and visions for success, listen to them, and take their concerns about being ‘different’ and sometimes ‘being misunderstood’ seriously.

I encourage you to expose them to successful adults from their communities who have gone through life’s difficulties, left the challenging circumstance (or ‘made it out’) and have a ‘life story’ to offer as encouragement. These young people are counting on us to believe that they have what it takes to succeed even if they sometimes feel like they are in the ‘strange predicament’ or feel ‘out of place’ or that no one understands their plight.

In closing, I must admit that this is a very complex and sometimes controversial subject, the very notion that students from challenging environments can be successful, has not been entirely embraced by the educational community. We tend to look more at what they can’t do -deficit perspective,  than what then can do- strengths perspective (Ford, 2010). This is just a continuation of the conversation. There is more to share than can be discussed in this limited space.

The purpose of this blog is to enlighten more advocates and share information that you may not have had access to before. There are numerous resources that can be provided, I’ve listed a few here and hope that they will help you to help these talented young people out of the ‘quandary’ of their daily existence into a life of hope and realized dreams.

References:

Boykin, A.W. (1996). The triple quandary and the schooling of Afro-American children, pp57-92. In U. Neisser, Ed. The School Achievement of Minority Children. Hillsdale, NJ:Erlbaum Associates.

Davis, J.L. (2007). An exploration of the impact of family on the achievement of African American gifted learners originating from low income environments. Unpublished manuscript.

Ford, D.Y. (2010). Reversing Underachievement Among Black Gifted Students, 2^nd Ed. NY: Teacher’s College Press

Grantham, T.C. (2002). Rocky Jones: a case study of a high achieving Black male’s motivation to participate in gifted classes. Roeper Review, 26(4), 208-215.

Hrabowski,F. A., Maton, K.I.,Greif,G.A.(1998). Beating the odds: Raising academically successful African American males. New York: Oxford University Press.

Lewis, D.L. (1993). W.E.B. Du Bois, Vol. 1: Biography of a race, 1868-1919. New York: Henry Holt.

Other Recommended Books

A Hand to Guide Me (2006)- Denzel Washington, Actor & Philanthropist

Bright, Talented & Black: A Guide for families of African American Gifted Learners (2010).  Dr. Joy Lawson Davis

Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American children (1994). Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings

It Worked for Me (2012)- General Colin Powell with T. Koltz

Reversing Underachievement in Black Gifted Children, 2^nd Ed. (2011) –Dr. Donna Y. Ford

The Pact: Three young men make a promise and fulfill a dream (2003)- Drs. S.Davis, G. Jenkins & R. Hunt

Special Populations of Gifted Learners: Understanding our most able students from diverse backgrounds (2010)- Drs. Jaime A. Castellano & Andrea D. Frazier

Exemplary Programs/Info Websites

Jack Kent Cooke Scholars/Foundation www.jkcf.org

Meyerhoff Scholars Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore County http://www.umbc.edu/meyerhoff/

Project EXCITE- Northwestern University- http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/excite/

Positive Black Stories https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Positive-Black-Stories-By-Heru-G-Duenas/145708032139774

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity- http://www.seo-usa.org/Home

The Posse- http://www.possefoundation.org/

Uplift, Inc –Washington DC http://www.upliftdc.org/index.html

All rights reserved by Joy Lawson Davis, Ed.D. Reproduction without written permission of the author is strictly prohibited.

Focus: Low Income Learners with Promising Potential

Later this month, I will participate in a Research Summit on 'Low Income, High Ability Learners' hosted by the National Association for Gifted Children in Washington, DC. In a recent communication to me, NAGC President Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, noted that the purpose of the Summit:

"Our overall goal with this summit is to distill and collect recent research as well as successful program and service models for low-income, promising learners so as to craft a future research agenda and recommendations that will further facilitate the development of best practices for the talent development of these learners.  This event and its outcomes will culminate in a white paper for wide distribution"

My role during the day and a half summit will be to serve on a panel and respond to two 'issue framers': Dr. Angela Duckworth and Dr. Frank Worrell on the topic of: "Building a Psychological Identity that Supports Commitment to High Achievement/Psycho-social Skill and Issues with Promising Learners from Poverty." The goal of this panel is to help our audience understand the psycho-social issues that affect the development, learning, and achievement of low-income children.

I am very pleased to have been invited and look forward to engaging with nation's top researchers, scholars and practitioners with a vested interest in the intellectual, academic and psycho-social development of high ability & gifted low income learners.

Among the lead presenters and participants are: Dr. Donna Y. Ford; Dr. Joyce Van Tassel-Baska; Dr. Tracy Cross; Dr. Rena Subnotik, Dr. Carol Horn, Dr. Jonathan Plucker, Dr. Chester Finn, Tiombe Bisa-Kendrick, Dr. Jaime Castellano, Dr. Tamra Stambaugh, Josh Wyner, reps from Duke & Johns Hopkins Talent Search programs, and a host of scholars whose research and programming have been devoted to enhancing educational opportunities for these learners.

I will post a blog in early June to share some of my experiences!! Please continue to share this blogsite! It is generating a great deal of interest and thus, more advocacy for the needs of culturally & linguistically gifted learners.

The Research Summit is being sponsored by a generous grant from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. For more information about the JKC Foundation and the great work they do for a wide diversity of gifted learners and programs, go to: http://www.jkcf.org/ . The Scholars who are sponsored by the Foundation are exemplary students who represent cultures from across the nation. PLEASE READ their profiles. You will be impressed!!