ABSTRACT
Extensive literature on academic achievement by Black college students primarily focuses on their academic failure rather than their success. Black students have historically faced underrepresentation in both gifted and talented programs and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas of study (Bonner, 2010a; Ford, 2003; Fries-Britt, 1998; Grantham, 2004a; Harper, 2004). Jackson (2003) suggested that an increase in research focusing on the academic experiences of gifted Black males in STEM is warranted. To date, research that focuses on the academic and social experiences of academically gifted Black male college students has been limited. Recent fi ndings on college persistence stress the role of institutions of higher education in providing educational opportunities; however, the minimal literature which exists suggests that academically gifted Black males have had limited access to these opportunities. Academically gifted Black males in higher education encounter social and institutional factors that guide the direction of their educational experience, particularly in engineering disciplines.
