ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of socioemotional and curricular needs of gifted African American adolescents. Gifted African American adolescents are likely to respond to these prompts in ways that parallel the responses of White students. In the context of nurturing the social-emotional growth of students, teachers should apply critical thinking and reasoning skills and judgment in areas where there might be a tendency toward egocentric or sociocentric bias. The chapter begins with a definition and rationale for promoting cultural competence among educators and continues with a discussion of factors that impact the socioemotional functioning of these learners. Many traditionally oriented African American students have a propensity toward verve, or an intense sensory stimulation. The chapter defines socioemotional functioning as the developmental awareness of the student’s interaction with both peers and adults and the emotions that these interactions engender.
