The black community is defined in this book as a diversified set of interrelated structures and aggregates of people who are held together by the forces of racism. The need for theoretical perspectives for understanding black-white relations and for analyzing the nature of the black community is explained. The black family, patterns of family life, and the impact upon the family of slavery and urbanization are discussed. The stratification system within the black community is described. Mobility patterns are examined in terms of traditional and nontraditional criteria for upward movement and status achievement in the social system. The impact of education on social change within the black community is assessed. The issues of housing and the ghettoization of blacks are analyzed in terms of an internal colonialism model. Black businesses are examined and compared to businesses outside the black community. The role of blacks in the armed services is described. Black political power and racism in the American political system are discussed and criminality is stated to be an adaptive response to white domination and black subordination. Other subjects covered include problems of mental health and health care systems and current ideological issues that both divide and unite the black community. (Author/MC)