This article examines the relationship between Black racial identity and academic achievement in urban settings. Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1918) as a comparative framework, the author describes current practices and suggests practical applications of empirical findings for practicing classroom teachers of African American students. Specifically, the article identifies an appreciation of the historical context for Black racial identity development and an acknowledgment of within-group diversity among African American adolescents as key in the development of a healthy racial identity.