The author explores the challenges of teaching and learning African American history, a history fraught with uncomfortable implications about contemporary race relations and race-based inequalities. Drawing on various theories of anti-oppressive education, and using data from an ethnographic study conducted in one history classroom, the author explores possibilities and limitations in that realm. With its focus on a racial minority group whose history is not fully explored in traditional history courses, the course provided a curricular context for students to explore issues of racial difference and inequality. Consistent with much of the research and theoretical literature, teacher and student discourse revealed difficulties in teaching and learning multicultural content in a classroom setting where students enter with a range of experiences with and beliefs about race and racism.