"This paper addresses the need to open opportunities in educational research so that more minority researchers can contribute their personal experiences and acquired expertise to the development of excellent, equitable, and effective school programs and practices for all children. It captures the perspectives of a young minority (African American) educational researcher as he tries to reconcile his language, culture, and values with the assumptions of a system driven by research and development results that in his view hold a very narrow definition of 'truth.' As the researcher melds personal insight with the theoretical knowledge acquired through formal education, he gains a more holistic view of the strengths and weaknesses of children's learning environments. This in turn allows him to focus on research with an understanding of the diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic richness children bring to school in a way that many other researchers cannot." The paper concludes by arguing that there must be more federal involvement in programs designed to increase minority participation in practical educational research and development in the form of minority scholarships, fellowships, internships, post-doctoral fellowships, and early career research grants. (Contains 10 references.) (JB)