This book tells the story of two African-centered schools, an elementary school and a middle school, in an urban public school system. Both schools were originally conceived as "all male academies," but legal and political obstacles caused both to become coeducational, although still African-centered. The factors that affected the implementation of the school design are studied for each school. The chapters are: (1) "Historical, Social, and Cultural Contexts of the African American Immersion Schools"; (2) "A Portrait of the African American Immersion Elementary School"; (3) "A Portrait of the African American Immersion Middle School"; (4) "Transformations"; (5) "Surface to Deep Transformations"; (6) "Lessons Learned"; (7) "Talent Development, Cultural Deep Structure, and School Reform: Implications for African Immersion Initiatives" (A. Wade Boykin); (8) "'Island by Island We Must Go Across': Challenges from Language and Culture among African Americans" (Shirley Brice Heath); (9) "Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in African-Centered Schools: Possibilities for Progressive Educational Reform" (Gloria Ladson-Billings); and (10) "Afrocentric Education: Critical Questions for Further Considerations" (Jacqueline Jordan Irvine). Chapters 6 through 10 contain references. (SLD)