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=Young, Gifted and Black: Minority Student Achievement= = = = = = =

//**Welcome to LMSD's wiki for Minority Student Achievement. This space is dedicated to the work of a cohort of students who participate in __Young, Gifted and Black: Minority Student Achievement Seminar__ facilitated by Lynne Partridge. These students explore racial identity through the study of culturally relevant curriculum, and develop metacognitive, critical thinking, study, organizational, and leadership skills. Membership to this wiki is reserved for YGB seminar students, members of LMSD's Cultural Proficiency Cadre, and CARE. Visitors are welcome to explore!**//  media type="custom" key="3657203"


//To be young, gifted and black, Oh what a lovely precious dream To be young, gifted and black, Open your heart to what I mean
 * To Be Young, Gifted and Black** (1969) Nina Simone, Weldon Irvine Jr.

In the whole world you know There are billion boys and girls Who are young, gifted and black, And that's a fact!

Young, gifted and black We must begin to tell our young There's a world waiting for you This is a quest that's just begun

When you feel really low Yeah, there's a great truth you should know When you're young, gifted and black Your soul's intact

Young, gifted and black How I long to know the truth There are times when I look back And I am haunted by my youth

Oh but my joy of today Is that we can all be proud to say To be young, gifted and black Is where it's at//

//"Toward the end of 1968, Nina Simone had begun working with a young, multi-talented musician, Weldon Irvine, and with him she had written "Young, Gifted and Black" as a way of paying homage to her longtime friend, playwright Lorraine Hansberry (best known for "Raisin in the Sun"). Released as a single in November 1969, it became Nina's biggest RCA hit, reaching the Top 10 on the R&B charts. More importantly, it became an important statement that reflected the increasing desire to express pride in the achievements of African-Americans. This was the dawning of a new day and Nina and Weldon were verbalizing a culture's state of mind with their uplifting message of encouragement and empowerment. Not surprisingly, the song has gone on to become the most recorded item in Nina's repertoire, spawning versions by Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Dionne Warwick and '70s reggae stars Bob & Marcia, among others."// David Nathan, liner notes for CD //Sugar in my Bowl//[| http://www.boscarol.com/nina/html/where/tobeyounggifted.html]

Nina Simone circa 1969 [|Young, Gifted and Black] Gist The Essence [|Young, Gifted, and Black] [|Lorraine Hansberry] - Read about the life of this mid-century author whose autobiography gives us the song and name of this seminar! [|Understanding the Achievement Gap]
 * Compare these two versions of the song Young, Gifted and Black.**

//This space is managed by Lynne Partridge, Gifted Support Teacher, LMSD.//