Part 1. Breaking the silence -- 1. Mastery and excellence versus the Bell curve -- 2. Playing by the rules -- 3. African American goals and closed doors -- 4. Down the up escalator -- Part 2. Creating the village -- 5. Twenty-first century education project: report and recommendations -- 6. A model for culturally appropriate pedagogy -- 7. The role of the African American village in creating the village -- 8. Where do we go from here? A call to action -- Appendix. The church's educational and advocacy mission with African American children: cognitive, affective, and religious context.