This paper develops a theoretical model of sucide, based on the theory of "external restraints" proposed by previous researchers, A.F. Henry and J.F. Short, Jr., and applies the model to a study of black suicides in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. The focus of the study is on the complexity of relationships between dimensions of black suicide and the social, demographic, and economic characteristics of blacks in the United States. Some of the variables considered include sex, age, marital status, social status, and community integration. It is pointed out that the theory of "external restraints" is only weakly sustained by the analysis. It is concluded that more adequate testing of the theory must await further data, with careful attention to the subjective aspects of hypothesized structural relationships. (Author/EB)