Gloria Ladson-Billings is a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She has served on
the faculties of Santa Clara University and Stanford University, and has spent over ten years working as a teacher
and consultant in the Philadelphia public school system.
Review
"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
"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
"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.''
--Reverend 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
"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
Submitted by Publisher, March, 2001
Summary
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. Quality education remains an elusive dream for most African American children. Historically,
they have been denied schooling, subject to separate and unequal education, and forced into unsafe, unhealthy,
substandard schools. In The Dreamkeepers, Gloria Ladson-Billings explores the positive signs for the future.
Who are the successful teachers of African American students? What do they do? And how can we learn from them?
Her portraits of eight exemplary teachers who differ in personal style and methods but share an approach to teaching
that affirms and strengthens cultural identity are inspiring and full of hope.
Written in three voices--that of an African American scholar and researcher, an African American teacher, and
an African American parent and active community member, this book is a mixture of scholarship and storytelling.
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.
Table of Contents
1. A Dream Deferred
2. Does Culture Matter?
3. Seeing Color, Seeing Culture
4. We Are Family
5. The Tree of Knowledge
6. Culturally Relevant Teaching
7. Making Dreams into Reality
