Knowledge and practical techniques are provided to help the white college counselor develop relationships with black students that can help the students reach their full potential. A sociocultural and historical overview of the black student's world, with a review of important literature in the field, gives background that white counselors can use to create supportive environments and help students adjust to higher education. A holistic approach is advocated to recognize the influence of black family ties and the impact of black culture and tradition. A racial distance index is included to help counselors recognize and manage their own racial biases. Counselors are urged to construct a "personal action plan" by following suggestions for changing attitudes and working through the five case studies that are included. It is concluded that empathetic understanding plus a good knowledge of client social sciences will provide a springboard for effective relationship development, even when the differing conditions of race or culture enter the counseling session. Attachments present the following items: (1) a 113-item bibliography; (2) an annotated resource list of 16 works; (3) an outline of procedures for establishing a list of community resources; (4) an outline of a holistic counseling process; (5) an outline of a personal action plan; and (6) a subject and author index. (SLD)