ABSTRACT

Educational attainment is highly valued in the United States and considered by many to be the surest pathway to self-sufficiency and social equality. The education of African-American children as a group has been characterized by a complex history of social inequality, racism, discrimination, and yet progress. It has only been 110 years (Plessey v. Ferguson, 1896) since African Americans received the legal right to receive an education in this country and fifty-two years since being allowed to “learn” with Americans of other races (Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka, 1954). Given this history, the attainment of education has been both a challenge and a highly valued dream for African-American families that transcends across generations (for a review, see Leach & Williams, in press).