This paper assesses the extent to which Houston's black community has benefited from the economic boom that the area is experiencing. The major issues addressed, using Houston as a case study, include (1) residential housing patterns, (2) black unemployment, (3) black-white income differentials, (4) black business and economic development, (5) black homeownership, and (6) rediscovery of the central city. The results show that the economic boom has had varying impacts on areas within Houston. While the overall Houston picture may indicate a vigorous and dynamic economy, a sizable segment of the black community has received few gains associated with the boomtown economy. The unemployment rate of area blacks continues to be significantly higher than that of area whites; there still persists an income gap between black and white households despite increased employment opportunities; residential segregation and housing market discrimination appear to be the predominant factors in structuring the patterns of residential areas; and the back-to-the city movement has intensified the competition between the poor and non-poor for limited resources within the inner city. (Author)