The Brilliance of Black Children in Mathematics

This book is a critically important contribution to the work underway to transform schooling forstudents who have historically been denied access to a quality education specifically African Americanchildren. The first section of the book provides some historical perspective critical to understanding thecurrent state of education in the U.S. specifically for the education of African American children. Thefollowing sections include chapters on policy learning ethnomathematics student identity and teacherpreparation as it relates to the mathematical education of Black children. Through offeringcounternarratives about mathematically successful Black youth advocating for a curriculum that isgrounded in African American culture and ways of thinking providing shining examples of thebrilliance of Blacks students and promoting high expectations for all rather than situating students asthe problem the authors of this book provide powerful insights related to the teaching and learning of mathematics for African American students. Asis made evident in this book effective teaching involves much more than just engaging students in inquiry-based pedagogy (Kitchen 2003). Thechapters offered in this book demonstrate how mathematics instruction for African American students needs to take into account historicalmarginalization and present-day policies that do harm to Black students (Kunjufu 2005). Empowering mathematics instruction for African Americanstudents needs to take into consideration and promote students' cultural spiritual and historical identities. Furthermore mathematics instruction forAfrican American students should create opportunities for students to express themselves and the needs of their communities as a means to promotesocial justice both within their classrooms and communities.