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Jasmine,1 an African-American 9thgrade student, described the racial and cultural climate at Wells Academy, an elite, predominately White, independent school. She stated, "Everybody knows that racism exists and that people are racist. So when it comes out, they [faculty and students] aren't that surprised that it is there." As Jasmine asserted, racism is prevalent in all aspects of society, with schools not being an exception. However, what is most interesting about her statement is that she perceives that racism is so commonplace within the school walls that when it appears, few are surprised. Jasmine has already begun to understand the pervasiveness of racism and its impact on African Americans.
Because of the legacy of racism, schooling is problematic for African-American students, particularly those students attending predominately White schools (Anderson, 1988; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995; Shujaa, 1994). For such students, feeling culturally alienated, being physically isolated, and remaining silenced are common experiences. These feelings are often exacerbated when African Americans attend predominately White, elite, independent schools (Datnow & Cooper, 1998, 2000). Given the insidious and often subtle way in which race and racism operate, it is imperative that educational researchers explore the role of race when examining the educational experiences of African-American students. Critical Race Theoiy (CRT) is a useful perspective from which to explore such phenomena. In this article, we will illustrate how CRT can be used to examine the experiences of African-American students. We will use the counterstories of African-American students at Wells Academy, an elite, predominately White, independent school.
Wells Academy
Wells Academy is located in a major city in an affluent, predominately White area in the southeastern United States. Property values in this community range from $450,000 to over $3 million. Wells has religious roots, although it does not claim a particular religious affiliation. The school serves students in preKindergarten through the 12th grade. Wells attempts to educate the whole child; it focuses on providing both a classical (e.g., mathematics/science, literature, and foreign language) and aesthetic (e.g., art and music) education while attending to students' emotional needs. Also, it attempts to address multiculturalism and celebrate diversity through multicultural counseling and courses offered by the diversity coordinator.
In the high school, during the 2002-2003 school year, 44 of the 599 students enrolled...