Subtitle: Transforming Literacy Education for African American Students. The author provides specific practices that K - 12 literacy educators can use to transform their schools. The text addresses four major debates: the fight for access to literacy; supports and roadblocks to success; best practices, theories, and perspectives on teaching African American Students, and the role of African American families in the literacy lives of their children.

Introduction: Hope, Literacy, and the State of African American Education Today -- "I Hate School": Low Literacy and Low Life Chances -- Narrow Definitions of Literacy and Literate Practices -- Factors That Confound Literacy Achievement -- Language Issues -- Moving Forward with Hope -- The Fight for Access to Literacy -- Narrative Beginnings / Rev. M.T. Thompson: "Lifted from Red Clay by Red Words" -- The Fight for Access in a Contemporary Classroom / Elena: "I Don't Belong in Special Education, and I'm Not Staying There" -- Looking Back to Go Forward: A Historical Perspective -- Government Intervention -- The Struggle Continues -- The Multiple Meanings of Success: Tensions, Conflicts, and Crises for African American Students -- Narrative Beginnings / Jennifer D. Turner: "Success is Tryin' to Make It in Two Worlds" -- Stories from African American Elementary Students: Trying to Be "Cool" in Contemporary Classrooms -- Looking Back to go Forward: Reclaiming the Meaning(s) of Success -- Multiple Meanings of Success -- Resisting School Success -- Reclaiming School Success -- The Struggle Continues -- Teaching African America Students: Approaches and Best Practices -- Narrative Beginnings-Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon: Confidence + Culture Shock=Double Consciousness -- A Contemporary Success Story-David Benjamin McMillon: "I'm a Brotha' Who Can Dance, Play the Drums, and Win the Science Fair" -- Looking Back to Go Forward: Teaching Other People's Children -- Best Practices for teaching African American Students -- Best Practices for Preparing Teachers to Teach African American Students -- The Struggle Continues -- Village or Villain: The Role of African American Families -- Narrative Beginnings-Patricia A. Edwards: "A Family That Values Education" -- A Contemporary Narrative: Literacy Learning Across Generations -- Looking Back to Go Forward: The Beginning of Parent Involvement in The United States -- African American Parent's Responsibilities for Their Children -- The American Family: A Changing Institution -- Poverty and the Changing American Family -- Struggling with Children and Parents -- Dealing with Families: A Double Standard -- Parents Are Not All the Same -- Learning About Cultural Issues -- Involving Families and Communities -- The Need to Build Teams and Networks: The Struggle Continues -- The Road to Redemption: Moving from Victims to Victors -- Narrative Beginnings-Pat, Gwen, and Jen Committed to Making a Difference: 'All of Us Are Smarter Than One of Us" -- Contemporary Teachable Moments: Learning to Share -- Looking Back to Go Forward: Summary of the Four Debates -- Taking Steps to Build and Maintain a Healthy Village -- A Call to Action: Am I My Brother's Keeper?.