Race Relations in America American society likes to believe that race relations in our country are no longer tense. We don't want to hear about the need for affirmative action or the growing number of white supremacist groups. To assuage our collective conscience, let's set aside the disturbing fact that racism is alive and well in the greater United States. It hides in the workplace, subtly shows its ugly face in the media, and affects the education of minority students nationwide. In the following excerpts from an interview with a middle-class African American male, the reader will find clear evidence that race plays an important role in determining the type and quality of education a student receives. The interview subject is a twenty-year-old African American male who identifies as lower-middle-upper class. Both of his parents graduated from high school, and his father earned a business degree from Bowling Green State University in northern Ohio. He attended a large high school whose student body was composed primarily of the white upper class and very few minorities. While his educational story is not earth-shattering, it effectively illustrates the presence of racism in American education today. “I want you to understand that the racism I encountered in school was not overt,” she explained. “No one burned crosses in my yard or shouted racial slurs as I walked down the hall. No, what I found was so subtle it wouldn't hold up in court. This subtle racism began with hushed comments made by the high school counselor who was helping him register for classes. Without asking him about his family and home situation, the counselor assumed some things about his life. “…middle of the paper…an academic scholarship. He was never denied anything by school or ridiculed by his teachers. However, the racial undertones were present… and they were real enough for a teenager to notice. Racism in education is not just a problem. It's a national crisis. Teachers and administrators must realize that these problems exist and therefore appropriate actions must be taken. Curricula need to be revamped to incorporate a multicultural look at history. Students from other ethnic groups, especially African Americans, must be encouraged to excel in academics, not just athletics. Above all, teachers in all different types of schools need to be sensitive to how and how often they teach about other cultures. Racism is not an innate human characteristic. Racism is a learned response. It's a response our schools must stop perpetuating.