Cornel West from Race Matters

Denise Aldridge

Shardae Harmon

Cynthia Roberson

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*“…one of the heaviest burdens black Americans

– and black children in particular – have to bear

is the handicap of definition…. The problem is

that the definition is much too narrow.”

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*Courageous conversations are conversations

that require us to blend two key elements of

mercy and truth in order to resolve pressing

issues and develop greater levels of trust.

*Stay engaged.

*Expect to experience discomfort.

*Speak YOUR Truth.

*Expect and Accept a Lack of Closure.

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Student # 1 - Khadijah Williams found a home at Harvard as a

Sociology. Despite everything, she scored in the 99th percentile on a

state exam. She serves as a Peer Advising Fellow and will graduate

this year.

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Student #2 Has become a world-class neurosurgeon and funds a scholarship in his name. He is Ben Carson.

Benjamin Solomon Carson, Sr. is an American neurosurgeon and the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Among other surgical innovations, Carson did pioneering work on the successful separation of conjoined twins joined at the head. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States.

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Student # 3 is Dr. Rameck Hunt, a graduate of Seton Hall University. Many

of you would better know him as a member of the “The Pact,” three men who

made a promise to get through high school, college, and medical school

successfully together.

Hunt went on to become the medical director at St. Peter's University

Hospital's How Lane Adult Family Health Center. The three friends also

established a nonprofit organization, the Three Doctors Foundation, which

provides scholarships to inner-city youth. The Three Doctors also tour the

country speaking about their experiences and encouraging others to follow in

their footsteps. The doctors co-wrote a critically acclaimed book, The Pact,

about their experiences, and they were honored at the 2000 Essence Awards

for their community service.

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* “Statistics show that only 6% of our teaching

profession is African American. Of this, only 1%

are African American Males. 83% are white and

female. There has been a 66 percent decline

in African American teachers since 1954.”

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*Students of color face harsher punishments in

schools than do their white peers which

ultimately leads to a higher rate of

incarceration.

16 year old high school

student in Florida was

arrested and charged with

two felony counts for a

science experiment gone

wrong.

16 year old student was found

not guilty of killing his

brother with a BB gun. The

same Asst. DA who charged

Kiera Wilmot deemed it a

“tragic accident.”

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Gifted and Talented is Defined in Maryland Law

A gifted and talented student is identified as “having

outstanding talent and performing, or showing the

potential for performing, at remarkably high levels of

accomplishment when compared with other students”

(Maryland Annotated Code § 8-201).

The law recognizes that students may have different

types of gifts and talents, such as intellectual ability,

excelling in specific academic fields, or high

performance capability in creativity, leadership, or

the visual and performing arts. In addition, other

students may exhibit a keen ability to lead,

influence, and organize others.

Gifted and talented students are found in all

Maryland schools and in all cultures and ethnicities.

*Truth

*Teacher bias is one of the factors impacting

minority student success and interest.

*Truth

*Teachers’ expectations and their impact on students are associated with broader social forces. Racial categories carry with them symbolic meaning, providing group members with enhanced legitimacy or reduced social status in the eyes of others. For example, stereotypic images suggest that African Americans are not as intelligent as whites. These widely circulating stereotypes may influence teacher expectations of students based on their racial classification.

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*Elementary school, Maryland

*200 white students 176 black students

Gifted and Talented Student Identified by Staff

23 White 1 African American 1 Hispanic

Math Science

Grade 6 95 97

Grade 7 95 97

Grade 8 97 100

“While HER CREDENTIALS SPEAK WELL FOR HER, I AM WRITING, AS PER YOUR REQUEST, A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR _____________ TO BE PLACED IN THE STEM PROGRAM. SHE APPLIED TO BE IN THE FIRST COHORT BUT WAS DENIED. . . SHE WAS AN HONOR STDUENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND CONTINUES TO BE AN HONOR STUDENT IN HIGH SCHOOL. WHILE TAKING ALL CONTENT HONORS COURSES, SHE HAS MAINTAINED A 4.25 WEIGHTED AND 4.0 UNWEIGHTED GPA.

*Truth

Communication and media research suggest that the

mass media is an important source of information

about African Americans and their image. This public

image influences public perception, and is capable of

reinforcing opinions about African Americans.

Typically, these opinions are unfavorable and

highlight negative stereotypes associated with African

Americans. Television has been cited for broadcasting

material that displays an overrepresentation of

African Americans as lawbreakers.

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* Increased acceptance that giftedness is multi-dimensional

*Accepting that giftedness is contextually and culturally sensitive

*A culture of assessment rather than identification (This includes long-term assessment.)

*A prescriptive philosophy

*Collaborative partnerships

*Staff development and parent and family education

*A commitment to reform in gifted education

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*Educate yourselves about the various cultures represented in your school community.

*Be willing to change your negative perceptions and prejudices about an entire group of people. This includes expanding your perception of what intelligence looks like.

*Be receptive to knowledge from an outside source.

*Establish an environment that is conducive to courageous conversations.

* Infect your African American students with the notion that excellence can be Black, not just white or Asian.

*Finally, DO something differently!

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