, "
-
t
c
r
In many ways, my generation I
of Black Americans set an im- •
I port ant example for our
children. We organized, mar­
ched and work d behind the
scenes to bring about a civil
rights evolution in this nation.
ow, it i our young people's
turn to make their mark on his­
tory. And in their own way, they
are beginning to do so. The
! '
Recqg\ ni�i�g·
I 1
gifted I' I
t,
I I
children '1
" Who are "gifted" children?
How can they be identified?
Should anything special be done
fo them? If so, What? and why?
Patri�ia Vail, a teacher of
children with special needs, and
th mother' of a "gifted" chil�
clear up much of the confusion
urrounding he concept of gif­
tcdness in World of the Gifted
c)Ji14 (Walker & Co., 1m).
She states: "As eachchild is
a gift, so each child comes with
distinguis . ng gifts. For some,
the balance m es for a tranquil
pas e through life. For other
the balance produces frustra­
tions, dreams, and ene gie ,
hich 'resemble the tides of the
• CH' in heir power and relent­
Ie. ness."
F r the c ' others, whose . t
i I heavily weighted' in a pa -
ticular . rea, she is concerned
that their intense emotiona
nd cial nc ds' may be over­
I' 10 ked in our emphasis. on
caderni .' ,
h uthor recognizes that
the grca 1 pr blern concern­
ing "giftedne "I is in defining t,he
term.
h points out that stand­
ardized te ts c nnot accurately
id ntify children who h ve spe­
cial gifts, not only because areas
such a. I ader hip and creativity
n 1 lend them elves to test­
ing hut Js becau e giftedness
does 0 mainfest 'itself accord­
in" to any part ular timetable.
Vail ugge s that we might
better identify giftedness by
watching for certain traits in a
child, such a high degree of
energy, exec sive curiosity or
I I the bility to recognize or kno
certain things that a child of that
age would no normally kn .
The author gives COD­
sider ble attention to those
thing which keep us from
seeing real giftedness in I
children. She st tes, "Since
scboo put high value on verbal
I' child ho h trouble
with re ding. writing or spQke
expression may seem 10 in in-
Census Bpreau informs us th t '" ing out in higher proportions
in the }986 elections, young just at a tim,e when most other
Black Americans' rate of voting . groups turn out rates are drop-
participation had surpassed hat ping. veraU voter .turnout has
of yoti�g whites. The voting ra been on the decline since 1982,
among oung people agrs 18-24 as has overall turnout among
in our community has surged the Black comm�\fnity. . Our
forward from 10 percentage young people are th� praisewor-
points behind that. their white thy exception to this sad rule.
pe rs to three percent ahead. Why are a greater proportion
Our young people are turn: of our young people now going
to the polls? U.S. Representa­
tive John Lewis (O-Ga.) says: "I
think there is a feeling among
young Blac people 'that they
missed th� civil rights move­
ment, and the vote is their in­
strument fot socia and political
change." Reverend Jesse
!, Jackson's campaign had stimu­
lated the interest of many young
Black people.
But Blac Americans, young
and old, still have a long way to
r
cnce and therefore less
able."
. he goes on to point out that
history is, filled with stories of
people who did very poorly in
school but who went on to make
great contributions to society.
As examples of such people,
she lists Thomas Edison, a
genius of technology, who did
not learn the letters of the al­
phabet until he was eight years
old and who had exreme dif-
.ficulty in learning to read and
write.
TMere is also A bert E.
Einstein, the genius of physics
o could not talk until he was
four, did not read until he was
nine, and had a very poor chool
record in hi early years.
Vail rinds u th t poverty
hides gi cdness, and that in
I economically depressed areas,
childr n with very nimble minds
ftc bee me rnis chief-maker
simply because their giftedne
is no recognized, nourished and
directed.
he suggests that "if children
in these neighborhoods could be
recognized and reached, they
themselve could do much to
help solve problems which their
resence may c4Jgravate.
In ddition to ways in which
, we can recognize' gifted
childre the I author also give
case . ories which show how
these children relate to their
f milies, friends, and the role
school plays in their li .
. Vail's strong plea is that
children - all 'children, need ac­
ceptance and praise. Fo th
with special gifts, he urges.
"Help them develop powerful
to their world and other
peopl .
Do n separate them (rom
humanity, j' them to it. Nur­
ture . ho ,h ,
and COmaioD me they may
gro into ole people and, .
brigh to brilliant, slUDe amoDI
us.!'
g .. in fully excertis� our peliti­
.cal clout, Too many of us are
at ever registered to vote. Of
th se who are, less th n half
went to the polls in 1986. And (
while our young people have
recently made great strides for­
-ward, they are still turning out a
a rate even less than th .
" This is crucial time 0 get
regidtered and to get our
frie ds, family m mbers, and
neighbors registered to vote ..
lctft year our nation will be
c�sing a ndw Preisdent and
many new senators, Con­
gressmen and Governors. e
will be 'making d ns of other
choices t tare c er to home,
selecting c I board members
t� and other 10 government of-
ficials.
.. You can he make sure that
. more of us go to h polls n�xt
year. Ask youn people you
know.if they are egistered nd, .
if not, urg them to do so.
Registration is simple and eas
now. Contact your C'" or state
Board of Ejections f r details.
Marian Wright Edleman- is
President of lite Children's
Defi me Fund, a naliofllll voic
lo� Children.