Discussed are some sociological theories about instability in black ghettos, the Negro social class structure, and some policy implications derived from such analyses. The point of departure for this document is Norton Long's theory that ghetto unrest is a result of the absence of a black middle class. The consequent lack of Negro middle class leadership results in an unstable lower class community without brokers to act as middle men between whites and blacks. An assessment of this theory raises some questions of its relevance to current conditions--class antagonism within the black community, the urban crisis, economic factors, and the radical search for a different society. (NH)