Oppositional culture theory is a widely accepted explanation for disparities in academic performance between middle class Whites and middle class African Americans. The authors make the case that oppositional culture theory has its roots in cultural deficit theory popularized in the early 1960s and present a significant body of evidence to refute it. They express concern that oppositional culture theory is a form of victim blaming that distracts attention from numerous forms of racism that remain as virulent and ubiquitous barriers to academic achievement among African Americans.