Federal consciousness of minority issues in general and of black colleges in particular is increasing daily as programs are instituted to promote equality among the various races in the U.S. This paper reviews some government social agencies where signs of progress are already visible: Model Cities, Social Rehabilitation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the new Minority Center at the National Institute of Mental Health. Also discussed are some areas of the federal government machinery that seem almost totally unresponsive to black college concerns: the Departments of Transportation and Interior, programs of vocational and environmental education, and programs in health services and mental health. It is clear that black college relationships with the social agencies of government need still more public attention and pressure. (HS)