Despite its notable successes, the public education system fails many students, as evidenced by the disengagement, failure and high dropout rates for Black, Aboriginal, and other minority youths. African-Canadian parents and communities are continually being asked to take responsibility for solving the many problems affecting them; however, the blame does not rest entirely with these so-called "problem students" or their families. Both individual and collective responsibility must be addressed by asking: What are our responsibilities to each other? What are the responsibilities of the state to its citizens? How are we to explain the fact that in the last few years, provincial governments have repeatedly shirked their responsibilities? What about the complicities of our institutions in creating the street culture of youth violence today? What have been the effects of a zero tolerance policy and the associated acts of social exclusion, rising racialized and gendered poverty, and the everydayness of racisms that undergird our communities? Asking these questions does not mean searching for excuses. This article describes a "revisioned schooling" model in the form of African-centred/Black-focused schools that, according to supporters, affirm learners in all of their identifies and myriad experiences by providing a more holistic education; schools in which both the curriculum and classroom teaching emphasize, value, and nurture the contributions of every member of society. The author of this article contends that success for Black/African-Canadian students and the ability to root out all forms of violence will flow from this vision of education. (Contains 1 note.)