This book focuses on the psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence the achievement of black youth who are gifted or potentially gifted, the prevention of underachievement, and appropriate interventions in cases of underachievement. The roles that families, educators, peers, and students themselves must play in promoting the academic, psychological, and socioemotional well-being of these students are emphasized. Chapters 1 and 2 discuss definitions of giftedness, considerations of cultural diversity in the manifestation of giftedness, contemporary theories of giftedness, and identification and assessment practices. A definition of giftedness which compares students to peers from similar backgrounds is proposed. Chapters 3 and 4 address issues such as underachievement, strategies for reversing underachievement, and social factors as correlates of underachievement. Chapters 5 and 6 assess cultural factors as correlates of underachievement, resistance to crossing cultural borders, psychological factors as correlates of underachievement, and barriers to meeting the psychological needs of gifted black students. Chapters 7 and 8 investigate gender issues in underachievement and educational attainment, school influences on underachievement, and multicultural education. Chapter 9 discusses the role of the families of gifted black students. Chapters 10 and 11 discuss current federally funded programs related to gifted and potentially gifted black students, prevention and intervention issues, and directions for future research. An appendix reviews three relevant court cases. (Contains over 400 references.) (CR)