Over the years, the benefits of categorically identifying and labeling students with disabilities have been debated on many grounds, particularly when it comes to labeling African-American children who many argue are over-labeled or disproportionately represented in selected categories such as learning disabilities. In this article, the authors address the following question: Is labeling African-American students for special education purposes in the best interest of these students? They argue that labeling African-American students in special education is not advantageous and can even be counter-productive. They contend that whatever good intentions, once students are labeled, especially African-American students, the extra "baggage" that comes with that label may be a burden too heavy to carry. This article focuses on the negative impact of labeling for African-American students in special education. Although there are 13 specific categories of disability defined by law, this article focuses on the controversial categories of Learning Disabilities, Serious Emotional Disturbance (includes emotional and behavioral disorders), Intellectual Disabilities (formerly Mental Retardation), and the associated subcategories. (Contains 1 table.)