The Lesson," from Bambara's 1972 collection Gorilla, My Love, is the story of a group of poor inner-city children who meet regularly with a not-quite-insider, not-quite-outsider community member, Miss Moore, who has taken it upon herself to educate them. What, exactly, is the lesson Miss Moore is trying to teach them, and why don't they want to learn it? Has Miss Moore learned anything from her students? Bambara's story raises questions about social class and status, leadership potential, and the relationship between leadership and social, racial, and cultural identity.