AbstractThe recent discussion surrounding Black children's classroom experiences increasingly points to the fact that, unlike their White peers, Black children experience a disproportionate amount of negative interaction in the day‐to‐day affairs of classroom life. This paper will discuss new areas of investigation for the causes of underachievement in Black children, drawing on pertinent work in the USA, recent British research and a small number of personal accounts by black teachers. It concludes by highlighting the role of Black educators in multiethnic schools and points to their dual position in relation to the Black community and the educational establishment.