The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children
             is a unique book. It is also a book with a timely topic, one which is very
             relevant and meaningful for our academic community today. In this book,
             Gloria Ladson Billings looks at the problem of education for African-
             American children, the reasons these children do not achieve as much
             academically as they should, and what can be done about it. Billings
             discusses the current state of education for African-American children.
             The achievements and contributions of African-Americans are not discussed
             much, if at all, in public schools today. When African-Americans are
             discussed as part of the school curriculum at all it is usually in a
             negative way, or simply a focus on slavery in United States history. This
             can often cause low-self esteem to flourish in African-American children.
             It can also cause a lack of interest in them, as the curriculum focuses on
             cultures that they are not a part of. Further, African-American children
             are often subjected to teachers who are not of their own culture and who
             have no understanding of African-American culture. This can lead to
             communication problems between teacher and student, a lack of understanding
             between the two, and a lack of interest in each other. Teachers without a
             cultural understanding of African-Americans can also be culturally
             insensitive without meaning to be. African-American students in schools
             today are not encouraged to work together to achieve things, and the
             learning environment in schools is one of competition rather than mutual
             help and achievement. All of these things can combine to create an
             unpleasant and unwelcoming academic environment for African-American
             students. It is no wonder then that so many African-American students do
             not attain the academic achievement that they should, nor feel moved to do
             This book, however, shows that this...