This analysis encompassed four different projects that were implemented as reform initiatives at the college. The authors' collaborative work and this subsequent analysis have drawn on insights from Cochran-Smith (2004), who describes teacher education as both a "learning problem and a political problem" that involves the creation of inquiry communities. Grounded in a critical perspective, the authors' work and the projects described have all involved critical sociocultural theory, critical race theory, and a critical literacy perspective. In this article, the authors present descriptions of the individual projects and jointly analyze the projects through a lens created by four dimensions of critical perspective. Striving to meet Cochran-Smith's (2004) challenge, they then "work the dialectic" by generating both theory and practice from local knowledge that advances their college's mission relating to diversity. (Contains 1 note.)