Black Students, White Schools- Caught Between Two Worlds

This study explores the experiences of eight black students in a predominantly white, affluent, suburban high school. The investigation examines the obstacles that impede the educational paths and mar the personal experiences of these students. But more importantly, it seeks to uncover the organizational factors of the institution and/or the personal traits of the students that make it possible for these black students to have successful educational experiences despite the many challenges they face. These are eight young men and women who demonstrate resilience in their young lives. This study of their experiences examines the building blocks of that resilience. It uncovers why they are able to achieve despite the array of psychological, social, and educational obstacles they encounter everyday in their high school. Readers may see reflections of themselves or their students or their children in the struggles of these eight students. To see them in their honors and advanced placement classes . . . to see them walking through the hallways juxtaposed against the backdrop of the white school - readers gain a better understanding of how these students are forced to grapple and ultimately tame two different worlds.