Predominately White institutions of higher education have focused a considerable amount of attention on the underrepresentation of African American and other ethnically diverse students in colleges and universities. To address this problem, colleges and universities have focused not just on recruitment but also on the retention of African American students in these predominately White institutions. They have recognized that efforts to address underrepresentation cannot be limited to recruitment efforts; they must also consider factors associated with retention in the underrepresentation equation. We contend that gifted education embodies many of the same attributes, challenges, and barriers that predominately White colleges and universities possess for African American students. We recognize that, in public school systems, educators--teachers, school counselors, and administrators--have made much progress in recruiting culturally diverse populations in gifted programs. Despite the efforts, too many African American students are not being retained in gifted education programs. Using Sedlacek's non-cognitive variables (1987, 1989, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998), we examine the notion of retention and its many implications for gifted education. Thus, we offer, using these variables, recommendations for improving the retention of African American students in gifted education.