A study examined whether the adoption of an Afrocentric textbook at a historically Black university motivated freshman composition students to read, write, and think. Subjects, 911 out of 1,305 students who completed English 002 during the 1991-92 academic year at Howard University, completed surveys regarding the textbook "Revelations: An Anthology of Expository Essays by and about Blacks." Results indicated that: (1) Black writers made 80% of the students feel more positive about writing; (2) 94% of the students said they had enjoyed reading about the issues discussed in the textbook; (3) 64% of the students indicated that they had enjoyed writing about the issues in the textbook; and (4) approximately 89% of the students agreed that reading the textbook had made them think more carefully about the Black Experience. Findings reflect three factors that play an important role in Afrocentric theory: many students were motivated to read the textbook because they could "relate to" essays about the Black Experience; students wanted to read the book because of what they were discovering about Black people; and the Black role models in the textbook proved to be a source of inspiration. However, teachers cannot assume that students will enjoy writing about Afrocentric topics because they are interested in the topics; and not all Black students like an all-Black curriculum. (The table of contents of the textbook and an appendix giving student evaluations are attached. Contains 10 references.) (RS)