Gifted Black Males in a Predominantly White University: Portraits of High Achievement

Abstract

This article addresses the limited research on high-achieving African American students by examining the experiences of 5 gifted Black males in a predominantly White university setting. Through case study research methodology, this study revealed significant factors that influenced the achievement of the gifted university males. Themes uncovered in the data included influential mothers, recognition of giftedness, and support from significant teachers and mentors. These factors interacted to shape a belief in self and internal motivation within the gifted Black males. Additional themes in the data included the multiple talents of the gifted males nurtured through involvement in extracurricular activities and their positive experiences with an integrated peer group. The final theme in the data accentuated the participants' ability to ignore racist experiences within the university environment and remain focused on their goals. Implications of the findings designed for university educators dedicated to meeting the needs of gifted African American college students are presented.

<em>Deficient or Resilient: A Critical Review of Black Male Academic Success and Persistence in Higher Education</em>

“…They described how the availability of support programs assisted them in gaining the skills and ultimately the confidence they needed to achieve their academic goals. Similar to the studies by Williamson (2010) and Hébert (2002), Flowers' (2012) research revealed that family was a major resource for students. And much like the men in Herndon's (2003) work, many of these men expressed a strong spiritual base, acknowledging the role God played in their academic talent.…”

“…The study investigated how Black males perceive their own levels of academic achievement, what relationships they found most supportive, and the impact of the campus on their successes and failures. Comparable to the participants in Williamson's (2010), and Strayhorn's (2008) studies, the men in Hébert's (2002) study identified family and an integrated support group as factors positively influencing their academic success. These young men also revealed that their talents were recognized at an early age and nurtured by a mentor, often beginning in elementary school and persisting through postsecondary education, a factor that assisted in the cultivation of self-efficacy.…”

“…Achievers within this institutional setting often serve as emissaries, displaying strong selfefficacy and engagement and using peers, family, mentors, and spirituality (Bridges, 2010;Harper, 2006Harper, , 2009Hébert, 2002;Herndon, 2003;Moore, Madison-Colomore, & Smith, 2003;Museus, 2011;Strayhorn, 2008;Williamson, 2010). Moore, Madison-Colomore, and Smith (2003) support the findings of both Allen (1992) and Harper (2012) in their qualitative study of 24 high-achieving engineering majors within a racially microaggressive PWI.…”

“…Campus engagement is known to be associated with academic success, a concept reinforced by the literature on Black males (Strayhorn, 2008). For example, Hébert (2002) conducted a four-year longitudinal case study examining five Black males at a predominantly White flagship institution in the southeastern U.S. The study investigated how Black males perceive their own levels of academic achievement, what relationships they found most supportive, and the impact of the campus on their successes and failures.…”

Present but not accounted for: a phenomenological study of gifted African American males.

“…Their counter narratives invalidate subversive stereotypes. The proliferation of such counter narratives hinges on establishing and maintaining academic environments in which gifted African American males find and develop their racial identity, self-esteem, and sense of self-efficacy (Hébert, 2002). Whiting (2006), building upon Bandura's (1977Bandura's ( , 1986) theory on selfefficacy, further establishes self-efficacy as the linchpin in the development of one's identity, specifically scholar identity.…”