The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children

by Gloria Ladson-Billings

Discover how to give African American children the education they deserve with this updated new resource 

In the newly revised Third Edition of The  Successful Teachers of African American Children, distinguished professor Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings delivers an encouraging exploration of the future of education for African American students. She describes eight exemplary teachers, all of whom differ in their personal style and methods, who share an approach to teaching that affirms and strengthens cultural identity. 

In this mixture of scholarship and storytelling, you’ll learn how to create intellectually rigorous and culturally relevant classrooms that have the power to improve the lives of all children. This important book  

What successful teachers do, don’t do, and what we can learn from them  Why it’s so important for teachers to work with the unique strengths each student brings to the classroom  How to improve educational outcomes for African American children across the country  Perfect for teachers, parents, school leaders, and administrators, The Dreamkeepers will also earn a place in the libraries of school boards, professors of education, urban sociologists, and casual readers with an interest in issues of race and education. 

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, School, Race, Social Justice, Professional Development

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 1993

Reviews

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gloria Ladson-Billings spent two years observing highly effective teachers in an underprivileged, predominantly african-american district. She asked parents and administrators to list teachers they considered highly effective, then chose the names that appeared on both lists. She uses anecdotes from those observations, interwoven with her own memories, to distill several hallmarks of culturally relevant teaching. In brief, they come down to this: 1) Treat your students with respect. 2) Remember that your students are talented, valuable people who bring a unique and valuable perspective into the classroom. 3) Have high expectations for your students. 4) Make sure your literature and history lessons include and respect the african-american experience. 5) Teach your students to think critically about current events and even question the perspective of the textbooks used in your school. 6) You'll almost certainly need to do some of your own curriculum creation, as most textbooks won't meet the criteria stated above. 7) If the district's guidelines don't meet your students' needs, quietly ignore them.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about these results, because, to me, they are glaringly obvious. As far as I'm concerned, Ladson-Billings's conclusion amounts to "Be a good teacher, and you will be effective with african-american students." On the other hand, sometimes pointing out the obvious IS groundbreaking scholarship. One thing I really like about the book is that Ladson-Billings doesn't pretend like there's only one way to be an effective teacher of african-american students. I think this grew out of her methodology. The teachers she observed often didn't have much in common in terms of pedagogical theory. She even includes a chapter in which she juxtaposes a whole language reading classroom with a phonics-based classroom. What she found was that both approaches are effective, provided that they are administered by a teacher who subscribes to the principles outlined earlier. To me, this was obvious, but it is also a completely original conclusion. I have never seen anything like it in anything else I've ever read. And, for that reason, it is important that this book exists.

The best thing about this book, for me, was that it was a way for me to observe these teachers through Ladson-Billings's eyes. There are a lot of interesting ideas hidden within the discourse on pedagogy. I think my favorite was the teacher who sent a student to another room on an errand, sat down at the student's desk, and then began exclaiming over all of the nifty things she "discovered" inside. The student, of course, along with the rest of the class, immediately began to protest that the items inside belonged to the student. They saw it as a joke in keeping with the teacher's theatrical sense of humor, until she went back to the front of the room and had them read their textbook's perspective on the "Age of Discovery." Episodes like this made the reading absolutely worthwhile. My only real regret is that this book's research is about 25 years old. I'd like to see an updated version, using teachers in the field right now. I'd also like to see a lot more research that uses this methodology. It's disappointingly rare for researchers to study effective teaching simply by finding out who is effective and then watching them with an open mind.

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll begin by saying that Gloria Ladson-Billings is a colleague whose work has had a major and constructive impact on the field of urban and multicultural education. Her notion of culturally relevant pedagogy works better than any other approach I've encountered in approaching the real life needs of diverse classrooms. Although the title emphasizes the relevance to African American children, culturally relevant pedagogy can be extended to all different sorts of classroom situations. Without minimizing the importance of the specifics, I'd venture that on some level what she's writing about is simply good teaching. The "Dreamkeepers" referred to in her title are eight teachers, five black, three white, who were recognized as highly successful by both parents and administrators in the northern California district where Ladson-Billings conducted her research. The book is a mix of critical reflection, autobiographical narrative concerning Ladson-Billings' own experience as a student in the Philadelphia system, and vignettes taken from the classrooms she observed. It's a nice mix, one that recognizes the multiple levels of awareness needed for educational success. Any teacher will learn from the book and one of the great things is that there's absolutely no shared set of techniques that unites the teachers. What does unite them is a deeply held belief that all of their students can succeed and a respect for the communities in which they teach and the culture of their students.

The limitations of the book for contemporary readers and teachers are all tied to the fact that it was based on research carried out in the late 1980s. Times have changed in the American school system. Ladson-Billings' Dreamkeepers make a point of dismissing the authority of simplistic standardized tests, but they were working in schools where the impact of testing, charter schools, and the other poorly conceived initiatives connected with Bush's No Child Left Behind and Obama's Race to the Top (pretty much two peas in an unappetizing pod) had had their impact. The afterward of the revised edition of the Dreamkeepers provides brief thumbnails of teachers who have carried on the vision of the original cohort, but they're very brief and there simply wasn't space to grapple with some of the complications (which Ladson-Billings has done in other writings). Even in the original studies, I frequently wanted more detail. One instance concerned her description of a culturally relevant approach to teaching algebra. I have no doubt it worked and Ladson-Billings did a good job describing the teacher's attitudes. But there's not much about exactly how she moved away from the standard approaches to problem solving.

Experienced teachers will certainly benefit from reading the book, but the most important audience for The Dreamkeepers is young teachers who will be teaching in diverse classrooms but haven't received training in the specifics of what that means.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly just shocked that it's taken me seven years in education-as-social-justice to read this cover to cover (id read many chapters and excerpts before). We're reading it as part of onboarding our 2016 teachers and it's SO good. Not sure how "possible" it would've felt as a brand new teacher, so that's why I'm reading Crossing Over Into Canaan next - also about culturally relevant teaching, but with a focus on new teachers. Definitely glad I read and recommend for all education peeps!

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

I am so happy that I was assigned this book for a class. A lot of the reading for my master's has been dense, theoretical, ethnographical, or long-winded. This has been the easiest of all the texts to read and one of the most enjoyable. Gloria Ladson-Billings looks at 8 teachers and their practices of culturally relevant teaching in African-American classrooms to present the shortcomings that are plaguing the American school approach to teaching Black children effectively and allowing them to grow, learn, and thrive in educational settings. I have taught in predominately Black schools and saw the frustrations they experienced, the lack of proper funding, and the failure of the educational system. Many of my students had given up on themselves, felt hopeless, and were checked out of learning. I loved teaching my students and seeing them go from broken individuals who believed they were terrible at English when it came to reading and writing. I saw my students grow into confident learners who took ownership of their accomplishments and felt like they could take on the world. Many of my students have gone off to college and often keep in touch with me. Sadly, not everyone has these stories because so many teachers give up and dismiss Black students with racist comments, stereotypes, and inaccurate beliefs based on White supremacy and assimilation schooling. This book allowed me to look at several teachers' varying approaches and it inspired me to change and implicate many new practices and strategies in my classroom. This should be required reading for every teacher in America.

Note: I have the second edition physical copy and the third edition audiobook.

[Georgie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the second edition. After participating in two professional development sessions with Dr. Billings between January and June this year, I finally got a chance to finish the book this week. It was excellent, and I learned a lot that I can take with me in my role as a library paraeducator. I can't stop thinking about the different ways the teachers highlighted in the book exhibited mastery in culturally relevant teaching. Many other reviewers said these were "just" examples of good teaching. I've been in the system for 24 years and have not seen that many examples of good teaching. In my experience many white teachers just say "we don't know how to work with "those" kids, we didn't learn how in teacher training. Tell us what to do".

Dr. Ladson-Billings is showing us examples of what works well and that teaching is a holistic practice that includes knowing, not only your students, but their families and the community. Not a new concept, but also not one that is always taught in teacher preparation programs. It wasn't in mine.

[Kahliah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. For many it affirms what you're doing is right, for others it challenges how you practice teaching, you ask questions you will get answers, you will change some things and you'll understand your students better. Truly this book is written for all and all students can benefit from the knowledge gained from it.

[Madler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such am important book. I’ll be weaving this content into my courses and looking for a way to get it in as a required reading. An ideal book for anyone who work in any capacity with African American students.

[Chanda A Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just for educators

This book will make cry tears of joy. The amazing teachers that GLB profiles are so wonderful. I pray this work will cause us all to insist that school administrators create an environment that creates more teachers like this.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully written narratives about these dreamkeepers. The methodology was well grounded and very interesting for those engaged in researching educators. A lot to think about after this read.

[Micah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful exploration and analysis of what is needed to be a successful teacher of African American students. This text explores several case-studies but adds a meaningful organization of themes that helps the aspiring and practicing teacher recognize what areas of competency and understanding are needed. Strength-based, truthful, and inspirational; I wish I had found this earlier in my teaching career.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladson-Billings writes about eight teachers whose culturally relevant teaching practices have proven successful at helping African American children achieve excellence. I appreciated the structure of the chapters, as well as the snapshots of effective teaching demonstrated in creative ways. Although these observations were from 1988-1990, these approaches to teaching remain relevant today.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think out of all the books I have read so far during my college experience that really teaches me how to become a culturally responsive teacher this one is the best by far. I love the way the author draws from her own experiences as a child and relates them to the current teachers that her study is about. I like how she uses the art of specificity as her writing craft. She does this so well when describing the teachers and it really helps me to imagine each and every person she is talking about. For example she writes Mrs. Gray was a tall, elegant African American woman who seemed to love children and the idea that she could expose them to new experiences. In this sentences she describes more than one attribute of Mrs. Gray so that the reader could imagine what she looked like and the type of personality she possessed. If I were a writing teacher I would tell this author that she did an amazing job of using the elements well. I usually don't like to read long books or books that are too preachy in telling a reader what they should be doing. A strategy that I would tell my students to use from this piece is to get really specific with their characters in a story so that each character has their own identity. This helps a reader to really make similarities and differences between the characters.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

an easy yet powerful read. good for teachers, non -teachers, anyone remotely interested in social justice. from the beginning she works from the understanding that race is important. maybe we should all be "equal", but we're not, and pretending everything is balanced is a disservice to children, especially african american children. very good. there's hope.

[Marva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone who wants to understand what it means to be a teacher. There is so much more to education that teachers commit to; they must become allies and saviors, disciplinarians and nurturers, and do so while understanding that each child—no matter their race, gender, or family background—is different and deserves a chance to excel.

[Laura Mansfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be a required read for all teachers.

[Teuta Selimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every new teacher should read this book!

[Anna Heffron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible and useful work in thinking about how to teach students from marginalized backgrounds.

[Thomas Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Dr. Ladson-Billings for your time in DC at the NPE Conference. It was a pleasure to meet you in person, and to hear your wisdom and intellect in a time I needed it!

[Meredith Martelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I write this review as a white woman who will be teaching in an African American school in the fall. I was recommended this book and I am generally pleased with what I learned. However, I think that taking time to really reflect and write about my reading experience is crucial. While reading, I actually started to feel pressure and anxiety. How can I be as good as these women the author highlights? I am not ready. I am not strong enough. I am not smart enough. My implicit bias is too blinding. Writing this review, with the guidance of the questions at the back of the book, felt like taking the enormous load of stress off my back. My review is in reponse to the first 6, of 21, questions. Hopefully, in time, I will be able to return to it and continue further deep reflection.

Improving the achievement of African American students has been a daunting task because of the specific and tragic social, political, and economical disadvantages this class has endured for 300 years. Efforts have been made to effect such an improvement, such as better and more targeted teacher preparation programs, professional development on the topic, and literature on the matter. Much of the success or failure of efforts to improve the achievement of African America students depends on specific teachers like those highlighted in “The Dream Keepers.” These professionals lead culturally relevant classrooms. Ladson-Billings recommends more culturally relevant teaching to improve opportunities and outcomes for African American students. One specific feature of such teaching involves fostering a mentality of teamwork and inclusion rather than competition and exclusion. Acknowledging and honoring the knowledge that students already bring to school, as opposed to viewing children as empty vessels needing to be filled with information by an adult, is another part of culturally responsive teaching.
A merit of separate African American schools is the chance to improve outcomes which has not yet happened. There is data that supports separate schools in terms of student performance on standardized tests. Also, most African American students already attend segregated schools. An argument to the contrary is the question of who would teach at separate schools and how could we assure equity.
Ladson-Billings closely examines teaching that benefits African American students as proven by measurable outcomes like high school attendance and graduation rates, and feedback from students and parents. The teachers who were chosen for observation met criteria which the author deemed effectively serving children’s interests.
L. Winfield’s four behaviors toward academically at-risk students are tutors, general contractors, custodians, and referral agents. Some assume responsibility and seek improvement while others shift responsibility and maintain the status quo. I seek to modify my own practice to be a tutor as often as possible and to be a referral agent if it is dire because health and safety are at stake. Adding conductors and coaches to the figure changes the objective from seeking improvement to seeking excellence. It raises expectations and places greater emphasis on education as a community endeavor. In this model, I seek to be a conductor which means that my “performance” is inseparable from student outcomes. Coaches have similarly set the bar high, however they are more likely to share responsibility. The goal of both conductors and coaches is team success. In my eyes, the most important feature of a culturally relevant classroom is the mentality that it is not shameful for some students to need more help than others. Coaches call on high achieving students to peer-tutor their classmates.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

“No challenge has been more daunting than that of improving the academic achievement of African American students. Burdened with a history that includes the denial of education, separate and unequal education, and relegation to unsafe, substandard inner-city schools, the quest for quality education remains an elusive dream for the African American community. However, it does remain a dream—perhaps the most powerful for the people of African descent in this nation.”

Gloria Ladson-Billings is currently the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is home to a very prestigious teacher preparation program, and she is also a good friend of a professor of mine at San Francisco State University. While originally published in the 1990s, The Dream-Keepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children still holds true today. A mixture of anecdotal testimony, vignettes from Ladson-Billings’s own life, and findings from the study around which the book revolves, the arguments within The Dream-Keepers advocate educational reform that will rectify a public schooling system that has long failed to properly serve African American children, who have been historically marginalized in the United States in a number of ways. Ladson-Billings goes into some detail in describing the forces behind the de facto segregation of public schools and school districts in the United States, which is certainly evident in various public schools throughout the San Francisco Unified School District, and while the focus of her book is on African American children, Ladson-Billings’s viewpoints on teaching and education can very much be applied to students from all ethnic groups and backgrounds, as she cogently argues for the use of beneficial, culturally relevant pedagogies and practices inside the classroom and makes known the detrimental effects of assimilationist teaching practices on students in the classroom.

Like many educational reformists today, Ladson-Billings’s point, very broadly speaking, is that teachers need to know their students better and take their cultures into greater consideration when designing lessons and conducting classes, and in doing so, teachers will be challenging a status quo that involves apathy toward the cultural backgrounds of students and almost mindless adherence to the demands of distant administrators and impersonal school district standards and mandates; the benefits of culturally relevant pedagogies that enable students to more easily identify with, relate to, and understand the material being taught are manifold but are not limited to more involving classes, more interested, high-achieving, and successful students, and most importantly, more being learned—this all sounds pretty reasonable to me, but what do you think?

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book highlights the stories of successful teachers of culturally relevant pedagogy, including the characteristics they embodied and the strategies they used with their students in their classrooms. I really appreciated the values and ideas of culturally relevant pedagogy put forth in these stories, especially as they are so important and still resonate for teachers in the field today. I think focusing on specific exemplary teachers and classroom experiences takes away from the bigger structural and systemic issues that prevent and hinder many teachers from teaching this way. I hope that many see these examples as possibilities that change can start small, with one teacher, child or classroom, and that many would be inspired to keep the dream alive to improve the quality of education of those most marginalized.

I also had the opportunity to participate in a virtual reading circle discussion with Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings. She is still a brilliant educator! She continues to believe in the power of culturally relevant pedagogy and continues to inspire teachers of the importance of this work.


Quotes from the book:
"Culturally relevant teaching is about questioning (and preparing students to question) the structural inequality, the racism, and the injustice that exist in society." (p. 140)

"The ultimate goal is to ensure that they have a sense of ownership of their knowledge- a sense that it is empowering and liberating. As coconstructors in the knowledge-building process, they are less alienated from it and begin to understand that learning is an important cultural activity." (p. 84)

[Maddie Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book at work, it’s a great eye opener for someone who has no ties to education. The book re iterates how important it is for a teacher to build their students confidence, demand excellence from ALL students (like a coach would to an athlete), and how a successful school runs on connection. It’s important for teachers to get to know their students interests & hobbies, and then combining these findings with their curriculum plans to create something called “culturally relevant teaching”.

I also really enjoyed how Billings repeated over and over that knowledge is something that is “recycled”- not “static” and “passed from teacher to student”. The teacher-student hierarchy is something I don’t hear much about.

Pretty good read.

[Tiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for one of the worst education classes ever. (That may contribute to some negative feelings.) The book is definitely interesting, and is a great one for sparking discussion. (Something that was sorely lacking from my class.) I do think that it's a bit dated, and I would really like to see something more current assigned to help put it into context. Sadly, I don't think that much has improved systemically since Ladson-Billings' work was first published.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Numerous key concepts, terminology’s, and stories that I will utilize in my future as a white female educator. Culturally relevant and responsive teaching is so extremely important and I didn’t know much about it until I read this book. I strive to be a warm demander. This book gives me hope that even as a white female educator, I can make a difference in the lives of ALL of my students, as long as a treat them equitably and hold them to high expectations.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books I've had to read for class - it's a little dated at this point (I would love to see an updated study in a similar vein as this), but worth the read. Some of Ladson-Billing's tenets for successful teachers of African American children seem obviously, but they are worth saying, and so well-put. And her research argues her case nicely.

[Christopher Garrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this book 3 stars just based on the old content. The teaching practices are great and I highly suggest this for anyone who teaches children of color. It opened my eyes to many things I wish I did while in the classroom to build a stronger community and establish stronger relationships with my scholars and families.

[Sam Kiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was for EDC 404 - Intro to Teaching at my school! The book is great. I love the ideas behind culturally responsive teaching. It’s a sound teaching method, and Aladdin-Billings does a great job at showing that through numerous examples.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book lays out what an ideal school could look like without making impossibilities necessary. I liked the example teachers and the observations. They made me consider things from perspectives I hadn't explored in depth.

[Kathleen Marconi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and many of the classroom suggestions the author discussed. However, I felt most of the ideas are applicable to all students, rather than any one particular race.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Especially poignant for teachers but a thoughtful for anybody who wants to understand more about cultural literacy in a charged climate. Well-written and full of humanity.