Jermaine: A Critical Case Study of a Gifted Black Child Living in Rural Poverty

Abstract

Gifted students exist in the culture of rural poverty; however, these children often are not identified, and schools fail to provide appropriate educational programs, preventing young people from realizing their potential. In this account of a gifted Black child living in an impoverished rural environment, a university researcher and a classroom teacher collaborated in order to describe a young man's creativity, his resilience, his struggle to find a place for himself in his community, and the significant factors that influenced the early formation of a strong self-identity. The findings of the study offer educators helpful suggestions for identifying and addressing the educational needs of gifted Black children living in rural poverty.