Over 50 years ago, Lorraine Hansberry—the iconic playwright and activist, coined the saying, "young, gifted, and black." Nina Simone used her words in a tribute song to her friend, which I grew up singing without understanding its meaning.

"To be young, gifted, and black is  where it's at."

When I was a child, my parents said; I had to be twice as good as my fellow white students to get half of what they took   for granted. 

Fast forward 30 years, as a parent, I expected  that life would be better for my son.

Unfortunately, that has not been my experience. Despite being an educator myself and having the ability to speak the language of his teachers, being black and gifted has not made life  easier.

Join me as I discuss what it is like to be black and not fit the norms. To be black and undervalued by the people educating you. To be black and masking to get by. To be a parent of a gifted  child and what you can do to help them succeed when their educational establishment seems determined to ensure their failure.

In her song, Nina states
"In the whole world, you know
There are a million boys and girls
Who are young, gifted, and black
And that's a fact"

But if you look at the gifted programs in the United States, you are led to believe that Nina is mistaken. Students of color are significant in their absence.

About the Presenter:

International Educator Maria M. Kenned  is The Director of the Bridges Educational Group.

Speaker, author, and advocate  Maria has been an educator for over 30 years, teaching students and training  teachers to tap into the strengths of their gifted and challenged students.  Maria received her B.Ed. and M.Ed. in education from Manchester University  and earned Advanced Teacher Status for her ability to develop curriculum and her skills within the classroom. Maria believes that effective   educators must continue to learn and grow. With this in mind, she constantly reads and works closely with leading educators in the field of 2E education.