The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of black identity and arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of the meaning, structure and situational components of black identity from a phenomenological descriptive approach. The principal criteria for choosing subjects were that they were black adolescent males between the ages of 16 and 18 and able to provide full descriptions of their experiences of being-me and not being-me. Recorded interviews were used to obtain the data. The interviews were structured in such a way which allowed the phenomenon to reveal itself through a detailed situational analysis. Findings which emerged in the analysis of the data show clearly that black adolescents experience the process of identity on two levels simultaneously one being typical to all adolescents, while the other is unique to the black experience. The results also support the theory that the process of black identity is experienced within the black community. Given the freedom to choose any situation that the subjects had experienced being-me and not being-me, most of the subjects chose situations which took place within a black environment. Those choosing situations that were in white groups, discussed them in terms of their reactions to being with members of the dominant culture. This information was always volunteered by subject as a factor in their not being themselves. (Author/JM)