This analysis of the differences between black and nonblack males in the processes underlying occupational growth uses retrospective life history data and studies the degree to which members of the two groups convert educational attainment into income and prestige, as well as the effects of parental resources in determining educational levels. The analysis showed that blacks attained lower levels than nonblacks both in income and prestige, principally as a result of lower growth rates rather than substantially lower starting points. There is a relatively small continuous effect of education on income, slightly smaller for blacks than for nonblacks, but high incomes for blacks are less stable than for nonblacks. Black and nonblack distribution of prestige remain in the same relative position. The analysis shows that the father's education and occupation and the mother's education all show independent effects on the son's educational attainment. For blacks and mother's education is of greater importance than the other two background characteristics, while among nonblacks the three characteristics are of approximately equal weight. There is a much stronger relationship between the occupation of father and that of son for nonblacks than for blacks. (Author/MBM)