Young, Gifted, Black . . . and Country:

Abstract

This article shares findings from a critical content analysis of five contemporary nonfiction children’s books. Each book centers on a gifted Black historical figure who spent at least part of their childhood in a rural setting. The analysis, using a funds-of-knowledge and community-cultural-wealth approach, revealed the situated nature of the child’s giftedness, including intersectional oppression they faced, various ways they enacted giftedness within their rural setting, and a reciprocal relationship with their community. In each book, the youth’s giftedness was supported by the community but also positively impacted the community.

Weaving KidLit into Professional Learning for Gifted Educators: Shifting Perspectives and Coaching for Equitable Practices

“…(Bishop, 2015, p. 1) Typically, the windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors approach is used to highlight the importance of having a diverse and inclusive selection of literature in the classroom and in the school library. The importance of Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) students' having their faces and voices reflected in the literature that they read on a daily basis cannot be understated (Gallagher & Wrenn, 2020). In the PL framework, it is often the windows or sliding glass doors approaches that are frequently used: providing educators the opportunity to see or step into the worlds of their students.…”

“…A story may be a great story, but if it is not related to the learning outcomes, it is not appropriate. For example, Gallagher and Wrenn (2020) identified non-fiction KidLit stories that featured the intersectionality of gifted, rurality, and Black; if the topic is also on Black rural gifted students, these selections fit, but not if the school population/topic features a predominantly Hmong population in an urban setting. Just as one would evaluate the benefit of an adorable, crafty Pinterest activity for teaching versus the content to be covered, one should be selective when choosing a book.…”