We All We Got: Gifted Black Girls Navigating Educational Programming and Services

• In Event: For Us by Us: Sustaining Black Girls and Women in Education

Abstract

Purpose
Across educational sectors, much of the scholarship and research on Black girls have centered on advocacy for school spaces to recognize their talents and gifts (Harper & Author, 2020), but the scholarship on gifted Black girls (GBGs) has largely been invisible (Author, 2020). As educators, what considerations do we need to explore in order to understand, address, and fulfil the needs of GBGs as they navigate often isolating and microaggressive spaces? In this session, I aim to address: How can we, as a broader learning community, identify, engage, and empower gifted/high-ability Black girls in K-12 settings?

Theoretical framework
Critical Race Feminism Theory (CRFT) is deemed a necessity with applying critical praxis in gifted education, particularly as we navigate the intersections of race, gender, cognitive ability, and class (Wing, 1997). Nuancing the multiplicative identities of gifted Black girls requires frameworks that center intersectionality and counterstories (Patton & Ward, 2016). The external barriers associated with being a gifted Black girl are challenging, particularly when combined with internal and contextual barriers: culturally incompetent educators, unequal access to programming, perfectionism, and stereotype threat (Author & Martin, 2018). In understanding race and gender dynamics in gifted education talent identification and development, much of the focus has been on the needs of Black boys, largely using Black girls as a comparative group, rather than situating their unique needs and experiences. CRFT is multidisciplinary, and provides pathways for understanding GBGs engagement in GT programming, interacting with their peers, families, and teachers.

Methods
This qualitative study drew from a subset of data from a larger study on gifted-identified Black women with doctoral degrees. These Black women retrospectively shared their performance(s) and negotiations of their experiences as gifted students in P-20 settings. The larger study consisted of 15 participants, and the interviews included ethnographic narratives of intersectional experiences. The narratives focus on their K-12 experiences, and discuss the role of social and school supports in their matriculation and success. To situate the collective understanding of GBGs, narrative inquiry was used. Using Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) four directions of inquiry, the data was analyzed inward, and outward, forward and backward. Open coding (Corbin & Strauss, 2008) was used to allow for themes to emerge with GBGs navigating gifted education programming.

Findings and Significance
Findings provided evidence that gifted education spaces were often isolating and trauma-inducing. The participants shared that they were often subject to suspicion, rather than affirmation, when sharing work with teachers and peers. To maintain in these spaces, the participants often leaned on other Black girls and Black educators, in/out of programs and courses, to maintain their sense of community and sustain their academic performance. Out-of-school programming was also critical to identifying and developing their talents. Lastly, participants shared that their behaviors were often misinterpreted by teachers, and overlooked for talent opportunities. More research is needed to understand the early experiences of GBGs, being that many discussed how elementary school was foundational to understanding their sense of belonging or lack thereof in GT programming.

Author

• Brittany Nicole Anderson, University of North Carolina - Charlotte