Finding and developing talented youth from low-income backgrounds is an ongoing challenge for U.S. gifted education policy. These students face strong headwinds, whereas advantaged students enjoy favorable tailwinds, and these factors accumulate throughout K-12, higher education, and beyond. Jonathan Wai and Frank C. Worrell explain how talented low income kids are left behind. They discuss the historical tension between the development of excellence and the pursuit of equity, explain the importance of early and universal talent identification and development in the critical K-12 years, and link that development to students’ personal success and societal growth.