The current study examines the contribution of racial congruence on young children's speech and language production to determine if African American children produce more or different language with an African American assessor, as opposed to a White assessor. Participants for the current study were selected from a larger group of children participating in a research study investigating the heterogeneity of language between African American and White children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten school settings located within the Western New York area. Children for the present study were identified by their primary caregiver as African American (n=19). Three trained assessors were all credentialed early childhood educators with extensive practical experience in speech-language pathology, general education, and/or special education. The assessors individually administered two of the study's six total counterbalanced study tasks. The findings indicate that children used African American English indiscriminately despite the race of the assessor; African American preschool-aged children did not produce more language in the racially congruent dyad and the White assessor produced more language in the interactions with the children than the African American assessor. Meanwhile, examinations of the qualitative data point to more subtle, racialized differences in linguistic interactions, with implications for early childhood assessment and instruction, as well as teacher preparation. Exploring the instructional milestones at which African American children alter their natural linguistic patterns holds significance, as it offers insights into how educational settings may inadvertently discourage the utilization of African American English, and ultimately African American culture. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]