About the Book
Acting as a bridge between the academic and policymaking communities, Young, Gifted and Missing sets the stage for addressing critical issues around why African American men are absent in the STEM disciplines.
The authors track the experiences of African American male students in STEM at every level of the educational system in order to produce successful models of achievement. The number of African American males who enroll in STEM degree programs as opposed to the lower numbers that ultimately graduate portends poorly for U.S. communities and democracy. The road to economic success and global participation requires a rich, educated community that must include African American males. There is a state of urgency to address this critical challenge. Action must happen now. An educated public, not just for some, but one for all is a must.
Graduate students in STEM, education, and business disciplines, as well as executive leadership in education, corporate and non-profit entities stand to benefit from reading this volume. Lastly, those looking to research the successes of African American males in STEM disciplines would find this book purposeful.
Table of Contents:
Foreword; Dhitinut Ratnapradipa
Chapter 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 Shakwa
Chapter 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 Emdin
Chapter 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
About the Author :
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.
Review :
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.
Young, Gifted and Missing takes a critical analysis to the dearth of Black males in STEM fields. The book powerfully illuminates individual, cultural, and structural barriers to STEM entry and ways to overcome barriers. The book challenges higher education as an institution to do better. But, the book also challenges Black males to harness the grit and hardiness of their ancestors to overcome and succeed in spite of obstacles.
To address the decreasing trend in African American men obtaining degrees in STEM disciplines, we must center their narratives while fully understanding their experiences in the matriculation process. Young, Gifted and Missing is a timely and information-rich volume with concrete strategies and practical examples that can aid us in creating environments for African American men to succeed and thrive in STEM fields and beyond.
