While educational systems manifest themselves in such a way as to clearly and distinctly reinforce the direction of a given culture, cultural forces, in turn, exert an influence over the orientation and approach of the educational system and the resultant psychological and emotional well-being of those persons who are acculturated through its structures. In America, racism is an entrenched part of the normative culture,1 and as a consequence, it is transmitted and perpetuated through the various social institutions, including the schools. The enrollment of Black children in the schools is both a legal requirement and a cultural expectation, and except for unusual situations such as geographical isolation, religious stricture or physical infirmity, participation almost always occurs. As a result, it seems unlikely that any other social institution impacts on the mental health of so many Black people in such a direct and significant way as does the educational system. Education can rightfully be said to occur in a variety of forms. Certainly the child learns from his parents, relatives, siblings, and environment from birth. Churches teach certain concepts and values to the developing child and these are sometimes reinforced, sometimes contradicted, by the peer group. The educational influences of television have not been precisely measured' to date, but there is no doubt that they occur. But, it is the process of formal education, schooling in the language of the anthropologist, that supersedes all of the informal learning processes that may take place elsewhere. The effect of the schooling process probably has a more meaningful impact on the development of the individual than