This book documents the critiques and theorizings that workingclass AfricanAmerican women have drawn from their educational experiences. Based on a study of five AfricanAmerican females enrolled in an employersponsored workplace speech and language training program the book presents lessons learned from participants efforts to negotiate effects of race class and gender discrimination both in and out of school. Particularly relevant to the field of education participants provide insight on the roles of teachers and schools instruction expectations motivation race and education educational experiences at work and relevant education to inform and help effect change. Because of its interdisciplinarity Sisters of Hope Looking Back Stepping Forward is an asset for a variety of courses that seek to be inclusive of the educational experiences and theorizings of marginalized groups. Its insights on race class gender marginalization and inequality are relevant to courses in areas such as AfricanAmerican studies womens studies ethnic studies multicultural education sociolinguistics black Englishes history oral historyautobiography communication and religion.