It is commonly accepted and expected that gifted students enjoy reading and other forms of creative modes of storytelling. A core principle from bibliotherapy is that students engage in reading when they identify with one or more characters, and challenges and interests like their own. The same principle applies to multicultural literature—when students of color see themselves mirrored in the book, they become more eager to read. This column focuses on the vital need for educators to use multicultural literature with gifted Black girls. Strategies and resources are provided for educators’ expansion of their pedagogical toolkit.
Black females are often placed in a difficult position of facing barriers in educational, vocational, and social settings that relegate them to second-class status when compared to issues facing Black males and those facing White females. Sharing race with one and gender with the other, the lived experiences of Black females is understudied and perhaps even discounted in the increasing racial injustices facing Black males and sexism facing White females. In this article, the authors address these neglects in the context of gifted education and Advanced Placement. We attend to what has been written about gifted and/ or high-achieving Black females regarding areas that have been neglected and needs more attention to ensure that this student group is more than a footnote in educational and social justice work.
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