The Dreamkeepers by Gloria Ladson-Billings (1997, Paperback, Reprint)

--ReverAnd Jesse L. Jackson, president and founder, National Rainbow Coalition

In this beautifully written book Ladson-Billings illustrates the inspiring influence of a select group of teachers who keep the dreams alive for African American students.

?Henry M. Levin, David Jacks professor of Higher Education, Stanford University

Ladson-Billing's portraits, interwoven with personal reflections, challenge readers to envision intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant classrooms that have the power to improve the lives of not just African American students but all children.

Gloria Ladson-Billings explores the notion of culturally relevant teaching for African-American children in this invaluable eye-opening book. Her portraits of eight exemplary teachers with an approach to teaching that affirms and strengthens cultural identity are full of hope, not just for African-American students but for all children.

Industry Reviews
"This is an eloquent, optimistic, and extremely useful book." (Joe Nathan, director, Center for School Change, Humphrey Institute, and author of Charter Schools: Creating Hope and Opportunity in American Education, from a review in Teacher)
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"Capture(s) the complexity of race relations in education by describing and analyzing how low teacher expectations detrimentally affect interpersonal relationships as well as student learning.... In addition to being informed of the pedagogical and personality orientation of culturally relevant teachers, the reader is exposed to an excellent example of the effective use of researcher subjectivity in a qualitatitve study.... Ladson-Billings' research methodology, her use of narratives, and her 'unconventional' writing style are of great value in expanding the range of what can be defined as solid qualitative research." (Communication Education)
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"Education, like electricity, needs a conduit, a teacher, through which to transmit its power-i.e., the discovery and continuity of information, knowledge, wisdom, experience, and culture. Through the stories and experiences of eight successful teacher-transmitters, The Dreamkeepers keeps hope alive for educating young African Americans.'' (ReverAnd Jesse L. Jackson, president and founder, National Rainbow Coalition)
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"In this beautifully written book Ladson-Billings illustrates the inspiring influence of a select group of teachers who keep the dreams alive for African American students." (Henry M. Levin, David Jacks professor of Higher Education, Stanford University)
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"The Dreamkeepers is an immensely important and useful book for teachers and teacher educators...In a creative, credible, and persuasive way, Gloria Ladson-Billings has made a major contribution to the field of multicultural education." (Jaqueline Jordan Irvine, Candler Professor of Urban Education, Emory University)