ABSTRACT
Priscilla Robinson stared blankly at her government teacher. It was the second day of class of her senior year and she just wasn’t in the mood for “playing school.” She wanted to go to college and didn’t want to waste her time. The teacher again asked, “From the data on the overhead, who did most African Americans vote for in the last presidential election?” She had stayed up late last night doing the reading and thinking about the guiding questions and this answer was on the overhead right in front of them. “This is so obvious it’s embarrassing,” she thought. She remained quiet as, finally, one of her classmates answered the question. The teacher then asked: “How do Democrats differ from Republicans?” Priscilla perked up a bit but let several other students give responses. Her teacher then asked: “Why did the vast majority of African Americans vote for the Democratic candidate in the last election? Turn to a partner for one minute and share your thoughts.” Priscilla had heard her parents talk about this at the dinner table many times and eagerly turned to her partner. By the time the teacher brought them back together to further prompt them toward a deeper exploration of the issue Priscilla was ready . . .
