Young, Gifted, and Black is a unique joint effort by three
leading African-American scholars to radically reframe the debates
swirling around the achievement of African-American students in
school.
In three separate but allied essays, Theresa Perry, Claude
Steele, and Asa Hilliard place students'' social identity as
African-Americans at the very center of the discussion. They all
argue that the unique social and cultural position Black students
occupy, in a society which often devalues and stereotypes African
American identity, fundamentally shapes students'' experience of
school and sets up unique obstacles. And they all argue that a
proper understanding of the forces at work can lead to practical,
powerful methods for promoting high achievement at all
levels.
Theresa Perry argues that African-American students face
dilemmas, founded in the experience of race and ethnicity in
America, that make the task of achievement distinctive and
difficult. For instance: "How do I commit myself to achieve, to
work hard over time in school, if I cannot predict when or under
what circumstances this hard work will be acknowledged and
recognized?" She uncovers a rich and powerful African- American
philosophy of education, historically forged against such obstacles
and capable of addressing them, by reading African-American
narratives from Frederick Douglass to Maya Angelou. She carefully
critiques the most popular theoretical explanations for group
differences in achievement. And she lays out how educators today-in
a postcivil rights era-can draw on theory and on the historical
power of the African-American philosophy and tradition of education
to reorganize the school experience of African-American
students.
Claude Steele reports stunningly clear empirical psychological
evidence that when Black students believe they are being judged as
members of a stereotyped group rather than as individuals, they do
worse on tests. He finds the mechanism, which he calls "stereotype
threat," to be a quite general one, affecting women''s performance
in mathematics, for instance, where stereotypes about gender
operate. He analyzes the subtle psychology of stereotype threat and
reflects on the broad implications of his research for education,
suggesting techniques-based again on evidence from controlled
psychological experiments-that teachers and mentors and schools can
use to counter stereotype threat''s powerful effect.
Asa Hilliard''s ends essay, against a variety of false theories
and misguided views of African American achievement, and focuses on
actual schools and programs and teachers around the country that
allow African-American students achieve at high levels, describing
what they are like and what makes them work.
Young, Gifted, and Black will change the way we think and talk
about African American student achievement and will be necessary
reading on this topic for years to come.
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