Young, Gifted and Missing

Anthony G. Robins, Ph.D., is the chief diversity and inclusion officer (CDIO), associate professor of biology, and coordinator of STEM diversity and inclusion initiatives at Robert Morris University.Locksley Knibbs, Ed.D., is a noted practitioner and scholar where he serves as lead academic advisor for natural sciences at Florida Gulf Coast University.  Ted N. Ingram, Ph.D., is a professor of education and academic literacy at Bronx Community College, CUNY.Michael N. Weaver, Jr., M.S., is pursuing graduate studies in educational leadership and policy analysis with a focus in student affairs at The University of Wisconsin-Madison.Adriel Hilton, Ph.D., is vice-chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management at Southern University at New Orleans.

• Foreword; Dhitinut RatnapradipaChapter 1. Measuring Grit as a predictor of academic success among African American male students in STEM programs at Predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in Western Pennsylvania; Anthony G. Robins Chapter 2. Towards a Solutions Approach to the Problem of Black Underrepresentation in STEM; Obed Norman, Patrice Pinder, Sharonda Ragland, Mack Shelley, Nicola Norman, and Geoffrey ShakwaChapter 3. Layering Programs: Career Academies as a Plausible Intervention to Increase the Representation of Pre-Collegiate Black Males in STEM; Edward C. Fletcher, Jr., Turhan Carroll, Erik M. Hines, James L. Moore III, and Donna Y. Ford Chapter 4. “He Probably Won’t Go to College”: Using Storytelling to Illustrate How Black Boys Use Their Science Knowledge to Challenge Deficit-based Teacher Dispositions; Terrance Burgess and Felicia Moore Mensah Chapter 5. STEMfluences: The Role of Social Interaction and Scientific Identity Formation in the Successful Matriculation of African American Males in STEM; LaVar J. Charleston Chapter 6. Revisiting W.E.B. DuBois’ Talented Tenth Framework to Create Equity in Education: How Black Philanthropy Can Assist in Leveling the Playing Field in STEM Education; Craig L. Jackson, Jr. and Sam Alavi Chapter 7. The Impact of Test Anxiety and Test Bias on the Absence of African American Males in STEM; Prentiss C. Smiley, Rory L. Bedford, and Ellen D. Smiley Chapter 8. Cultivating Science Genius through Hip-Hop Development and Reality Pedagogy; P. Thandi Hicks Harper and Christopher EmdinChapter 9. What if LeBron James Was a Scientist? The Influence of Role Models on Black Male Youth in STEM Programs; Zakia Y. Gates Chapter 10. The Black Code: Employing Culturally Responsive Computing to Help Black Males Thrive in STEM Careers; Theodore S. Ransaw, Michael Lachney, and Kevin Green Chapter 11. Using Talent Centered Education Leadership to Create Equitable and Inclusive Workplaces for Black Male Faculty in Engineering; Henry Tran and Spencer Platt Chapter 12. Moving Toward an Equitable Approach to STEM Education for Minority Males; Tawannah G. Allen Chapter 13. Conclusion; Locksley Knibbs

Black males, throughout history, have been at the forefront of innovation, creativity, and social justice transformative moments; they have also been viewed as a threat, violent, and ill-prepared for academic success. This well researched text carefully, systematically, and incrementally lays the foundation for the essential investment in Black males, particularly young black males / students, to ensure they are on the path to success through role models and teachers that look like them (and typically can empathize), strengthen the family and community nucleus to have the agency and access to resources to level the educational playing field of Black male young, and to be the cheerleaders for these precious minds that you too can be success, you matter, and you are capable as gifted, talented, respected black male youth. This edited volume is well suited to challenge educators, policymakers, elected officials, funding entities and many other audiences to prioritize the education of Black male youth (Black children in general) to ensure there is equity, inclusion and representation.