Oftentimes, when the subject of Black students' talent maximization in gifted and advanced courses and programs is broached, students are treated as a monolithic entity. In fact, there is considerable evidence to suggest that unsuccessful achievement of academic excellence may be more troublesome for males than females at many points along the educational pipeline (Ford, 2010; Grantham, 2004a). School counselors, trained to understand the intended and unintended consequences of ignoring the importance of race and gender are well equipped to assist in the battle to increase the academic performance of talented Black males and--by extension--aid in ameliorating the achievement gap between the best and brightest Black students. The purpose of this column is to provide a brief introduction of the cumulative risks associated with being Black and male in educational settings as well as a discussion of how these risks are associated with mental health and academic performance. The column will conclude with a discussion of implications for school counselors.