Educators and intellectuals with some sense of humanity should comprehend the hidden message inherent in setting up a dichotomy referring to two linguistic/cultural entities: that one set of structures is sufficient; one is not. For the black student, this message of inferiority is communicated both through the teacher in his instruction, assignments, grading procedures, and attitudes, and through the university in its tracking system which extends to society and the job market. To provide the kind of language/composition teaching the minority student needs, a learning environment should be set up in which he gains mastery in obtaining information, reading competently, using language effectively, and organizing concepts verbally--all using the dialect to which he is accustomed. (JM)