The author states that the black revolution went awry because black intellectuals failed to develop what has often been called a black political psychology, that is, the realization of a link between identity and polity, between black self-perspective and political actions; and that the individualistic emphasis of American life is causing upwardly mobile blacks to lose contact with the mass of black Americans. It is proposed that this confusion and alienation can be resolved by the utilization of theatre that incorporates and reflects the experience of working blacks and unites all blacks in a common understanding of their heritage and goals. Brown University's black theatre is described as an example of how this can be accomplished. References are included. (WP)