The educational system occurs within neighborhoods and societies and tends to adopt and instruct the beliefs, customs, and values of the dominant culture. James Baldwin stated that, “The crucial paradox which confronts us here is that the whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society" (Talk to Teachers, 1.). Therefore, as long as the educational system reinforces the social inequities of Western society, students of various races, classes, genders, and dis/abilities will continue to be marginalized and be denied access to an educational system that is inclusive, engaging, and inspiring. The proposed paper will examine how the concept of race is presented in a first grade Language Arts curriculum. Fiction and non-fiction texts used throughout the curriculum will be analyzed. Resources that will be used to guide and possibly support my research include, but are not limited to: Duncan-...