This paper describes, from an historicial perspective, the causes and consequences of violent outbreaks involving the black community and examines the effectiveness of various kinds of violence in the resolution of conflict. Violence as a means of protest and a method of change is presented as an integral factor in the shaping of American history. Violence against blacks as a controlling strategy, black community and commodity riots, and alternatives to riots are discussed. It is suggested that white backlash and the emergence of a law and order point of view, extensive property damage, and the polarization of attitudes within the white community as well as death or injury are among the negative effects of urban riots. Also examined, however, is the positive view of violence as primarily a political protest necessary to achieve social change. Urban riots are said to focus attention on the problems of urban ghettos and increase efforts to alleviate these problems while politicizing the black community. The paper concludes that a cooperative process of conflict resolution is much preferred to a competitive one, but with the absence of an adequate power base, riots remain as an alternative to increase power, if only for short periods of time, and to affect decision making processes. (JCD)