DR. JOY LAWSON DAVIS is a career educator with over 40 years of experience as a teacher, administrator, writer, researcher & consultant to schools nationwide. In addition to local district and university experiences, Davis served for five years as the Virginia state specialist for K–12 gifted services. A graduate of the College of William & Mary, she holds both master’s and doctorate degrees in gifted education. Davis has conducted workshops, served as program consultant, keynote speaker, and distinguished guest lecturer across the nation, in South Africa, the Caribbean, Dubai, and Turkey. Equity in education and gifted education are her areas of special expertise. She served for five years on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children. She has published numerous articles, technical reports, and book chapters and is author of three books, including the award-winning book: Bright, Talented, and Black: A Guide for Families of African American Gifted Learners. Davis is the Special Populations columnist for the NAGC’s Teaching for High Potential and serves on the Gifted Child Today advisory board. She was recently awarded the 2019 Dr. Alexinia Baldwin Gifted & Special Populations Award from the National Association for Gifted Children Special Populations Network and the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted organization (SENG).