ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on to challenge the underlying assumptions about the role of the principal, especially in communities that are struggling with the pervasive effects of poverty, and racial and economic segregation. It highlights more indirect forms of racism that reflect discrimination that privileges White people over non-Whites. The book includes the words like "urban" generalize places as well as people and their humanity. Urbanites are people with families, hopes, and dreams and there is no one objective "urban reality". The book explains how racial segregation in government housing policy created unequal access to resources and opportunities. It explores how socioeconomic status (SES) and neighborhood context are well-known facts that influence the physical and mental health of children and that these factors have a lasting influence on the health and well-being of students as they transition into adulthood.
