This paper is an attempt to have an overview of poverty in one of the most affluent nations in the whole world, America, and what this means to its black population with special emphasis on the black youth. The purpose of this paper is: (1) to give a definition and some dimensions of poverty in the United States of America; (2) to find out the scope and consequences of poverty in America to its black youths; (3) to review the already existing strategies to combat poverty; (4) to examine a number of the major characteristics of poverty; and, (5) to suggest other ways and means of alleviating and finally solving the poverty problems, especially in the black community. It is concluded that the different strategies can be conceived of as attempts to change environment, occupational chances, the pattern of claims on income distributed outside the market, people, the distribution of power, as well as to change the performance of the economic system. Programs of new investments in human resources, although promising, cannot reach all families in poverty, and there will inevitably continue to be a considerable reliance on programs of income maintenance as well. (Author/JM)