Sheila Wise Rowe - Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration

InterVarsity Press
P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515-1426
ivpress.com

2022 by Sheila Wise Rowe

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InterVarsity Press is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, a movement of students and faculty active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges, and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, visit intervarsity.org.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

While any stories in this book are true, some names and identifying information may have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

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Cover design and image composite: Derek Thornton / Notch Design
Images: colorful paper background: Amy Covington / Stocksy
Black American female silhouette: Chelsea Victoria / Stocksy
downtown Houston, Texas: lightkey / E+ / Getty Images

ISBN 978-1-5140-0356-5 (digital)

ISBN 978-1-5140-0355-8 (print)

This digital document has been produced by Nord Compo.

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO

Jonathan, Alexia, and the billions of other young,

gifted, and Black folk from around the globe.

You have equal if not more talent at times, but you dont have the same opportunities. You dont necessarily have the same doors open to you... or resources that could be put towards your dreams. Youa lot of the timesdont have family members that have ever achieved the things that you want to do.

A fter his groundbreaking movie Black Panther won the top film prize at the 2019 Screen Actors Guild Awards, the late actor Chadwick Boseman borrowed language from Nina Simones song To Be Young, Gifted and Black, a powerful 1969 anthem of the civil rights movement. Much like Chadwicks movie, Ninas lyrics celebrate Black love, hope, and joy, while not shying away from lament and grief born out of suffering, loss, and regret. A line from Ninas song calls us to consider what a lovely precious dream. To be young, gifted and black. Open your heart to what I mean. Her song continues to honor and inspire Black folks of all ages from across America and around the world.

In his speech, Chadwick said, To be young, gifted and Blackwe all knew that we had something special that we wanted to give the world, that we could be full human beings in the roles that we were playing, that we could create a world that exemplified a world that we wanted to see.

This book is both for and about those gifted, Black millennials and younger adults who dream and strive for a better life and a better world. And its for those, like me, who were gifted young adults and are now processing our life stories, or are raising the next generation.

If life is like a race, then our lives begin at the starting line. There are rules to follow, such as where and how we are to take up our position. Then we wait for the referee to instruct us to get on our marks, get set, go. During the race, we must stay in our lane. Taking all factors into account, we can assume each runner has a fair shot at winning. However, this is not always the case because there may be obstacles along the way. In life, these impediments may come from home, community, church, and society. The obstacles we face may give rise to stability or instability. The impact is undeniable, yet unique for each of us.

Its important to note here that the Black experience is not a monolith. An article in The New Republic notes: We dont all agree on what blackness or Americanness means, or whether we should even reconcile those two things. But we all have our own stories, and those stories are crucial to understanding the experience of black millennials [and others] and what that experience says about our country [and our faith].

For over thirty years, I was a therapist for folks of various ages and stages of life. The settings varied from public schools, residential facilities, prisons, universities, private practice, and the church. I saw how personal, societal, and educational interventions primarily focused on those deemed most at risk of harms, such as neglect, abuse, racial profiling, poverty, and incarceration. I want to make it clear that I dont diminish the need for such support. We are all unique, gifted, and at risk in one way or another. We certainly need more initiatives to help those most at risk identify and nurture their gifts and aspirations. Yet, there are Black millennials and younger adults who are at risk but in a different way than the usual understanding of at risk. We celebrate them for their academics, arts, sports, trades, leadership, and entrepreneurship. They appear to be self-sufficient and high functioning, but they are also in need of support. A report from the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) reported that research about academically gifted Black students rarely focuses on these students socio-emotional, psychological needs and development. I would argue the same is true for the limited number of studies about those gifted in areas apart from academics. Gifted Black folks face many challenges, as their emotional, physical, spiritual, or relational needs and struggles are often overlooked.

WE ARE ALL UNIQUE, GIFTED, AND AT RISK IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

As much as Id like this book to include every gifted persons unique journey, it does not. Throughout it are stories of specific young folks, including my young adult children. There are similarities and differences in how they process their Blackness, identity, trauma, giftedness, and faith. Like all of us, their lives are also characterized by both lament and celebration. Their stories and the Scripture references may help each of us to feel seen and heard, and validate our own inner lives and experiences.