The Black Genius Paper

Six years ago, Village of Wisdom recognized the need to engage the expertise and wisdom of Black parents in identifying elements of culturally affirming learning environments. To date, few school interventions transform the learning environments Black students navigate (e.g., the public education system), and, more often, such interventions direct efforts toward changing students. School interventions have also yet to reduce the discrimination and psychological harm Black students experience in public schools (Cogburn, Chavous, & Griffin, 2011; Henderson et al., 2019; Umaña-Taylor, 2016). Building learning environments that culturally affirm Black students reduces psychological harm and will allow Black students to thrive. Grounded in the wisdom of Black parents, further validated through a review of the literature and piloting in schools, the Black Genius Framework is a framework for educators and school districts. The Black Genius Framework is an integrative model comprising six elements: Interest Awareness, Can-Do Attitude, Multicultural Navigation, Racial Identity, Selective Trust, and Social Justice. This paper is an overview of the Black Genius elements.