Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Joy Lawson Davis has over 30 years of experience in gifted education as a teacher, administrator, writer, researcher & consultant to schools nationwide. Davis is presently an Assistant Professor of Education teaching courses in Gifted Education and Diversity Education at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Dr. Davis is a native of Virginia. As a practitioner, scholar and writer she has focused her work in advocating for increased attention to the needs of diverse gifted students, in particular African American students and their families. A graduate of The College of William & Mary in Virginia Davis is now serving a Second Term as Chair of the National Association for Gifted Children's Diversity & Equity Committee, co-editor of the Special Populations division newsletter, Mosaic and was recently named to the Advisory Board of Gifted Child Today, a practitioner oriented peer-reviewed journal with the largest subscription base of any gifted journal nationwide. Davis is also a member of the International Gifted Education Teacher Development network (Iget-Network) providing training for teachers interested in meeting the needs of underserved gifted children in the Caribbean and South Africa.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is really a terrific book... for ANYONE who cares about gifted children of any genetic background (black, white, green, purple, whatever). It's well researched, thorough, covers a wide range of topics, and offers practical suggestions as well as advice on many aspects of giftedness. Joy Davis has obviously done her homework and knows her subject intimately.
Perhaps the best part of this book is how refreshingly straightforward it is about so many difficult issues. There is no tiptoeing around the challenges facing families of children who are gifted, nor the additional and potentially complicating factors of twice exceptionality (gifted AND learning differences) or what one might call "thrice exceptionality": being gifted while Black. This is not the kind of book that encourages you to long, thoughtful navel-gazing, but rather a matter of fact discussion of real life. It's a useful resource on giftedness for parents, teachers, administrators, relatives, and friends. If you're Black, you'll find specialized suggestions. If you're not, you won't feel put off or left out. Most importantly, unless you live in a world that is sparkly white and never touches on the lives of anyone who is not Caucasian (say, another planet), you should read this book.
Perhaps the best part of this book is how refreshingly straightforward it is about so many difficult issues. There is no tiptoeing around the challenges facing families of children who are gifted, nor the additional and potentially complicating factors of twice exceptionality (gifted AND learning differences) or what one might call "thrice exceptionality": being gifted while Black. This is not the kind of book that encourages you to long, thoughtful navel-gazing, but rather a matter of fact discussion of real life. It's a useful resource on giftedness for parents, teachers, administrators, relatives, and friends. If you're Black, you'll find specialized suggestions. If you're not, you won't feel put off or left out. Most importantly, unless you live in a world that is sparkly white and never touches on the lives of anyone who is not Caucasian (say, another planet), you should read this book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Joy Lawson Davis, Ed.D., begins Bright, Talented & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners with the poem "Genius Child" by Langston Hughes. Her book is indeed, in Hughes's phrase, "a song for the genius child," comprehensive in scope and unfailingly friendly in tone. Unlike so many books about giftedness that read as dry textbooks or choppy advice manuals, Bright, Talented & Black finds the sweet spot where we come away better informed, newly motivated, and touched by the words of a gifted writer.
The book's chapters tell the story of what it means to be young, Black, and gifted in the United States, and how families can help gifted children to understand their differences, navigate complex peer relationships, find their rightful place in community, and make best use of the school system. Parents who are new to the idea of giftedness will learn valuable knowledge and vocabulary to advocate for their children, and parents who are well-versed in gifted literature will gain fresh insight into the challenges specific to gifted Black children. Here are just a few examples:
* "Many African Americans live with the understanding that they, as individuals, represent their entire race to the majority culture. When a Black person fails at something, the perception often is that all Black people have failed in some way. When a Black person succeeds or even becomes eminent, all Black people are raised up in the wake of this success. This phenomenon is known as `the burden of the race'." (p. 163)
* Because Black children may be in gifted programs that are predominantly White, parents can work to support friendships that transcend race.
* Underachievement may be overlooked in "Black male students, especially those from impoverished areas," who may be outperforming their classmates but are still far from exploring their potential.
* The strong role of spirituality in many Black families can help children to use and develop their gifts--for example, through an intellectual approach to church literature or a particularly sensitive reaction to spiritual music. At the same time, gifted children often question traditional authority, which can be challenging for parents and grandparents.
Dr. Davis may have written Bright, Talented & Black for "parents, grandparents, extended family members, teachers, and friends of African American gifted children"--and her unique perspective on the topic of giftedness is a long overdue and valuable contribution to the field--but readers will find that Davis's clear explanations and delightful prose deserve a place in the homes of all families with bright, talented children, all "genius children" who are often seen by themselves as well as others as anything but. I highly recommend Bright, Talented and Black for all parents and teachers and anyone else who enjoys smooth prose and lifelong learning.
The book's chapters tell the story of what it means to be young, Black, and gifted in the United States, and how families can help gifted children to understand their differences, navigate complex peer relationships, find their rightful place in community, and make best use of the school system. Parents who are new to the idea of giftedness will learn valuable knowledge and vocabulary to advocate for their children, and parents who are well-versed in gifted literature will gain fresh insight into the challenges specific to gifted Black children. Here are just a few examples:
* "Many African Americans live with the understanding that they, as individuals, represent their entire race to the majority culture. When a Black person fails at something, the perception often is that all Black people have failed in some way. When a Black person succeeds or even becomes eminent, all Black people are raised up in the wake of this success. This phenomenon is known as `the burden of the race'." (p. 163)
* Because Black children may be in gifted programs that are predominantly White, parents can work to support friendships that transcend race.
* Underachievement may be overlooked in "Black male students, especially those from impoverished areas," who may be outperforming their classmates but are still far from exploring their potential.
* The strong role of spirituality in many Black families can help children to use and develop their gifts--for example, through an intellectual approach to church literature or a particularly sensitive reaction to spiritual music. At the same time, gifted children often question traditional authority, which can be challenging for parents and grandparents.
Dr. Davis may have written Bright, Talented & Black for "parents, grandparents, extended family members, teachers, and friends of African American gifted children"--and her unique perspective on the topic of giftedness is a long overdue and valuable contribution to the field--but readers will find that Davis's clear explanations and delightful prose deserve a place in the homes of all families with bright, talented children, all "genius children" who are often seen by themselves as well as others as anything but. I highly recommend Bright, Talented and Black for all parents and teachers and anyone else who enjoys smooth prose and lifelong learning.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By T. Banks
Format:Paperback
We at The Black Academy are delighted to purchase this book and share this information with our students. We see many signs listed in the book in our students and are happy to have a professional point of view as it relates to identifying these indicators. We will also use the book to encourage other parents in our community to find out how they can enhance their child's abilities by cultivating their minds. It is very important that we in the black community work together to build our children through education and I can definitely see Dr. Joy Lawson Davis' book as a positive step towards achieving this. This book is a must have and I would encourage, parents, educators and community leaders alike to purchase it.
T. Banks
The Black Academy
T. Banks
The Black Academy
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Find
Joy Lawson Davis unlocks the mysteries of the gifted child in this amazing book. Dr. Davis' approach is thorough with enough scholarly touches to make this an enjoyable and worthy... Read more
Published 4 days ago by Lovelace Lee III
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Resource for Parents, Educators, and Counselors
This book touches on all aspects of what gifted children need/require to be successful in school. It is a great guide for the benefit of really ALL gifted learners in a school, no... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Elizabeth Cross
5.0 out of 5 stars
Black Gifts
Black Gifts, originally written July 12, 2012
By K. E. Dabney "Daytime Star"
This review is from: Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American... Read more
By K. E. Dabney "Daytime Star"
This review is from: Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American... Read more
Published 7 months ago by K. E. Dabney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Black Gifts
I am presently reading Dr. Joy Lawson-Davis' wonderful book, Bright, Talented & Black! It is an excellent resource for ANY parent, teacher, our organization sharing ways to bring... Read more
Published 10 months ago by K. E. Dabney
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Clear, Up-to-Date, Thoughtful Resource Great for Parents and...
I live in a very diverse, progressive city, and have been doing advocacy work in our public school district around the needs of advanced learners from every background. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Multi-Tasking Lady
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American...
Bright, Talented, & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners (Paperback)
Dr. Read more
Dr. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Margarita Bianco
5.0 out of 5 stars
So long Overdue!!
"Bright, Talented & Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners" challenges the reader to rethink their definitions and attitudes toward gifted children. Read more
Published on February 14, 2011 by Miriam
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why This Book? Because It Was Written for YOU--No Matter Who You Are.
"Teaching Your Child to Survive and Thrive;" "The Role of Mentors;" "What It Really Means to Be Gifted and African American... Read more
Published on February 4, 2011 by Adrienne Baytops
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
