This dissertation examines how middle level teachers at HOPE Academy, an urban charter school with a majority African American student population, understand citizenship education and what it means to teach African American students to be good citizens. Specifically, the study: (a) investigated how teachers' personal histories and pedagogical knowledge informed their definitions and concepts of citizenship education (b) explored whether and how teachers practiced citizenship education/instruction at the school and (c) revealed complexities associated within the teachers' citizenship education constructs. Data collection took place during 2006-2007, while I was teaching Math and Black History as a long term substitute teacher at the school. I utilized teacher interviews, focus groups discussions, reflective journals, and classroom observations techniques to address the following research questions: (1) How is citizenship education/instruction taught in an urban, mid-level charter school where the majority of students are African American; (2) How do social, historical, and cultural forces shape teachers' citizenship education curricular/instructional decision-making, motivation, and teaching/learning expectations for African American students; and (3) How does citizenship education promote justice, while challenging social inequities? Because citizenship education/instruction constructs are not neutral, a critical racial analysis was beneficial to the exploration of important connections between teachers' personal histories, beliefs, classroom practices and discourses. [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.]