They have worked in schools across the country to raise awareness about the needs of gifted Black students and the largely insufficient efforts to serve them, and they have conducted research on equity-focused topics such as universal screening, culturally responsive teaching, and anti-racist identification and teaching practices. Many former and current leaders within NAGC have been at the forefront of efforts to ensure equitable approaches to talent development and identification practices for all students. NAGC will address issues of anti-Black racism and inequity by re-visioning and building on the legacy of scholarly integrity and advocacy found in equity pioneers such as Alexinia Baldwin and Mary Frasier. Our plan is a working document that will be further informed by an organization-wide audit of our content and a thorough review of our policies, programs, and practices. This commitment extends to all NAGC stakeholders: the Board of Directors, Staff, Publication Editors, Network and Committee Leaders, Affiliates, and Members.įuture NAGC actions for changing minds, changing policies, and changing practices will align with our commitment to anti-racism to remedy the field’s past missteps and to promote practices that will result in equity.Įliminating systemic racism begins by engaging our stakeholders in intentional conversations to envision a more just and equitable future, identifying necessary actions to eliminate racism and planning new strategies to achieve equity and justice, and facilitating action among all NAGC constituents to accomplish our goals. We pledge to examine our policies, publications, practices, attitudes, and approaches to ensure alignment with our commitment to anti-racism. In order to move forward, we must be prepared for challenging conversations about our past as an association and as a field. We apologize for any past failings of NAGC that have promoted or reinforced social injustices. NAGC will not endorse, support, or engage in any action that reinforces, promotes, or advances racism or racist movements, including but not limited to racial microaggressions, colorblind ideology, culture-blind policies and practices, and scientific racism in scholarship. The field has made tremendous strides in addressing these historical injustices in recent years, but we have not made sufficient progress. Some early researchers and thought leaders who influenced the field were involved with the eugenics movement, and early gifted identification and programming practices often became vehicles for de facto segregation. We acknowledge the injustices of structural and systemic racism and recognize the field of gifted education has historically been part of the problem by promoting these injustices, even if inadvertently. A society that values the development and education of each gifted student, regardless of race or class, is the only context in which every gifted child is truly valued. In this statement, the NAGC Board of Directors committed to ideals and actions to confront systemic racism and advance equity.Īll gifted students won’t matter until all Black gifted students matter, too. NAGC's executive leadership previously issued a statement denouncing systemic racism and supporting social justice and stating the organization's commitment to ensuring Black lives matter. Statement from the NAGC Board of Directors On behalf of the NAGC Board of Directors, we look forward to working with you to identify solutions, take action, and enact real, sustained change.Ĭhampioning Equity and Social Justice for Black Students in Gifted Education: An Expanded Vision for NAGC T his is a journey we must take together. We are firmly committed to making NAGC a leading catalyst for solutions to systemic and institutionalized racism as the country strives to become a better version of itself. We realize these actions will require changes to NAGC’s traditional models for planning, resource allocation, and leadership development. The actions in this plan are only the beginning we share them now to convey NAGC's commitment to the future. Today, on behalf of the NAGC Board of Directors, we share an expanded vision and plan of action to confront systemic racism and advance equity for Black students in gifted education. On June 5th, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) published a statement denouncing systemic racism and supporting racial justice.
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