Though African American youth are often criticized, demonized, and marginalized academically, many are not only making the grade, they have excelled far above the nation’s best scholars and have risen to a league of their own. The number of African American students attending Ivy League schools has increased but their experience is much different from their peers.  In addition to dealing with high tuition costs, low acceptance rates, and the pressure to compete academically, they also have to face cultural issues of racism, sexism, and every stigmatism that accompanies being black in America.