A Gift and a Curse: A Narrative Inquiry of Black Women Who Participated in Gifted Programs in Southeast Georgia
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Authors
Parker, Talmeshia R
Issue Date
2026-01-13
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Gifted children--Education , Curriculum development , Dissertations, Academic , African American women
Alternative Title
Abstract
A pivotal voice is being overlooked in the academic discourse of disproportionate minority representation in gifted and advanced programs—the Black girl. This study explored the experiences of Black women who navigated giftedness in Southeast Georgia. Using Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought as a guiding framework, I conducted narrative inquiry study to capture the layered experiences of seven Black women who were identified as gifted or high-achieving in elementary school and had matriculated through the gifted or advanced programs of Young County, a small suburban county in Southeast Georgia. Through this study, I examined how the participants made meaning of their lived experiences as students in academically challenging environments and how these experiences influenced their sense of identity and how they continued to navigate society as young Black women. While honoring the voices of the participants, the intended goal of this study was to provide an inclusive understanding of the Black student experience in gifted education while strengthening support and equity in order to increase the access and retention of Black students in rigorous academic spaces. Semi-structured interviews were conducted along with a small focus group of two participants. In vivo and pattern coding were used to develop themes and patterns. Arts-based research guided the use of poetic analysis from the data. Participant narratives and found poems were constructed to highlight their experiences.
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This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.