Changing the Narrative

Changing the Narrative shares the remarkable stories of Black gifted students. As efforts are made to address the egregious underrepresentation of Black students in gifted programs, these students' stories highlight the psychosocial challenges, barriers, and facilitators present in navigating majority-culture schools, programs, and society at large. Profiled students have been recognized as Jenkins Scholars, in honor of Dr. Martin D. Jenkins, an African American psychologist who disproved early 20th-century theories of the intellectual inferiority of persons from the Black community. Coupled with analysis of current research and strategies for successful intervention, the stories shared in this book fill a void, contribute to national efforts to recruit and retain Black students in gifted and advanced programs, and align with the initiatives of the National Association for Gifted Children to advocate for gifted students from all racial and cultural backgrounds.