Locksley Knibbs – författare

Acting as a bridge between the academic and policymaking communities, Young, Gifted and Missing sets the stage for addressing critical issues around why African American men are absent in the STEM disciplines. The authors track the experiences of African American male students in STEM at every level of the educational system in order to produce successful models of achievement. The number of African American males who enroll in STEM degree programs as opposed to the lower numbers that ultimately graduate portends poorly for U.S. communities and democracy. The road to economic success and global participation requires a rich, educated community that must include African American males. There is a state of urgency to address this critical challenge. Action must happen now. An educated public, not just for some, but one for all is a must. Graduate students in STEM, education, and business disciplines, as well as executive leadership in education, corporate and non-profit entities stand to benefit from reading this volume. Lastly, those looking to research the successes of African American males in STEM disciplines would find this book purposeful.

This book explores why Black men continue to be severely underrepresented in the STEM disciplines. It provides chapters that explore factors that lead to underrepresentation of Black males in STEM (e.g., societal traditions of what type of work is appropriate; the ruptured pipeline that leads to higher rates of attrition at every level of career development; barriers in science fields such as subtle and overt discrimination; and inequitable resources and opportunities). The premise of this volume is if Black males are to compete in an emerging global economy fueled by rapid innovation and marked by an astonishing pace of technological breakthroughs, they must be present.The book makes new contributions to the field. The collective of higher education professionals and change agents whom are tied to STEM bring cutting-edge thinking in how best to address the leaky STEM pipeline which has left the industry/workforce void of talented Black men. The volume promises timely, relevant and emergent scholarship and perspectives for STEM leadership, scholars and supporters. It provides promising practices (best practices) and recommendations in recruiting and retaining Black males in STEM disciplines and the competitive market place.