This report examines the learning styles of Caucasian and African-American students. While research supports the claim that low academic achievement is prevalent in the minority community, there is no consensus regarding the causes. There are two schools of thought that involve (1) the cognitive deficit or genetic cause, and (2) the cultural deprivation theory related to cultural poverty. Research shows that middle-class Caucasian students perform better in school than middle-class African Americans. It also shows that students who are field independent, which is the modality of teachers, receive higher grades. Most African-American students are field dependent. Field-independent learning reflects academic curricula, academic achievement, and testing. The evidence shows that Blacks are primarily auditory and tactile rather than visual and that, unfortunately, enormous amounts of information are transferred visually in American society. The prime processing mode for Blacks is kinesthetic, which is substantiated by African Americans' high motoric capability. Finally, the paper suggests that because Blacks are extraverted, preferring action and personal involvement, black students need affective material, warm and supportive teachers free of racism, and a proactive learning environment to experience scholastic success. An appendix includes information about Blacks' relations to educational materials, certifying knowledge, and turn taking. (Contains 11 references.) (GLR)