Of the 17 African American students that started in one-level below developmental English, only 1 (6%) ended up completing a 200-level English course in a three-year time period. A quick analysis of similar three-year cohorts at this college shows similar numbers, indicating that this is not an anomaly. African American students are not succeeding at a level even close to other ethnicities at this college in the Southwestern part of the United States. What is the cause institutionally? This paper looks at the reasons why and explores ways to create transformational change.