A persistent dilemma at all levels of education is the underrepresentation of African American, American Indian, and Hispanic/Latino students in gifted education and advanced placement (AP) classes. Research on the topic of underrepresentation has tended to focus on African American students, starting with Jenkins's (1936) study, which found that despite high intelligence test scores African American students were not formally identified as gifted. For over 70 years, then, educators have been concerned about the paucity of Black students being identified as gifted. During this timeframe, little progress has been made in reversing underrepresentation. This lack of progress may be due in part to the scant database on gifted students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD). In 1998, Ford reviewed trends in reports on underrepresentation spanning 2 decades and found that African American, Hispanic/Latino American, and American Indian students have always been underrepresented in gifted education, with underrepresentation

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This article explores factors that affect the decision of gifted Black males to participate in gifted programs. Ford (1996) maintains that Black students often “choose” not to participate in gifted programs, and this choice contributes to their underrepresentation in gifted education. This choice to not participate in gifted programs is often based on social or external influences, particularly negative peer pressures, as well as internal or psychological issues, namely racial identity status. Given this perspective, a participation motivation model, developed by the author, is described, along with a discussion of how racial identity influences the choices Black males make about participating in gifted programs. While many options exist for helping these students to make constructive and long-term decisions, this article concentrates on the potentially powerful influence of mentorships as a viable retention strategy.

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