does not need to be the case.
             There are teachers out there in the field now who are successfully teaching
             African-American students. This success is proven by the fact that their
             African-American students are achieving great things academically, and
             doing so consistently. Through talking with these teachers and the parents
             of their students, Billings pieces together the information she obtains
             along with her own childhood experiences and comes up with a method for
             increasing the academic success of African-American children. This central
             idea behind this method is to teach African-American students in a way that
             is culturally relevant to them. This can mean anything from teaching them
             about the unique achievements and contributions of their race in history to
             learning more about current African-American cultural practices and
             incorporating these into the classroom. When teachers do this, and when
             parents likewise take an interest in their children and make them feel like
             a part of the African-American community, the cultural identity of the
             child is strengthened, self-esteem is increased, and academic achievement
             Do African-American children require a special or specific form of
             education, one that is different from what other children receive' Do
             African-American children require this special sort of education in order
             to be successful' This is the central question put forth by Gloria Ladson
             Billings in her book, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African-
             American children. Working on the premise that African-American children
             must be taught in a way that is "culturally relevant" to them, Billings
             uses interviews with teachers who are considered successful with African-
             American students, parents, and her own experiences to show how culturally
             relevant teaching is necessary to the academic success of African-American
             children. This paper examines this book, and...