The purpose of this study is to describe the speech of Negro high school students in Memphis, Tennessee. The study deals with the phonology and grammar of the students' speech. The phonological analysis is limited to a description of the segmental phonemes, their allophones, and their incidence. The grammatical analysis is limited to a description of the parts of speech, the function words, the major sentence patterns, and the major patterns of modification and coordination. The structure of the speech of the students is compared with that of standard English, particularly that of the Southern area. Eighteen students from three large high schools in predominantly Negro neighborhoods were interviewed. Thirteen group discussions, all taking place in the students' classrooms, were also taped. The selection of students and groups was kept as close to random selection as possible. Results show that the phonological system of their speech is that which is found in the Southern area. Most of the grammatical patterns which they use are found in standard or substandard Southern English. Two, which occur with some frequency, a noun possessive that is identical with the base form of the noun and "they" used as a possessive form, are not. A sentence pattern with a zero copula which some students use may occur in the Southern Mountain area. (Author/DO)