Conversations with 15 Black students attending predominantly White schools, about their teachers, other students, and their textbooks, reveal 8 patterns of racism that are common in schools at all grade levels. (MLF)

Savage, blood-thirsty, drunk, monosyllabic, naked, and primitive are the stereotypes of Native Americans in textbooks. These stereotypes are so pervasive that they tend to be accepted uncritically by the rest of society. The evidence suggests that many textbooks are biased and, in a large number of cases, outright racist. The concept of…

There has always been a traditional bias in the learning materials used in schools. Due to a growing awareness of this bias, educators have become sensitive to the need for change in curricular materials. The trend in textbook publication has been to pretend that discrimination no longer exists in the United States. The extensive textbook…

Reviews research about racial, ethnic, and sexual stereotypes in elementary science textbooks. Describes the demographics of the United States population as of 1980. Compares these demographics to representations in textbooks. Recommends three corrections that need to be made if schools are to attend to the social message in curricular materials.…