The underlying causes of black urban poverty are examined, and means are recommended to escape the cycle of violence it creates. Black activists and scholars analyze theoretical and practical problems facing the black community in the United States in the following papers: (1) "Towards a Theory and Strategy for Black Economic Development" (J. Cotton); (2) "The Political Economy of Black Women" (J. Malveaux); (3) "The Black Underclass as Systemic Phenomenon" (M. Jones); (4) "Understanding the Underclass: The Role of Culture and Economic Progress" (C. P. Henry); (5) "Blacks, Politics and the Human Service Crisis" (J. Jennings); (6) "Whither the Great Neo-Conservative Experiment in New York City" (W. Stafford); (7) "Race and Economic Development: The Need for a Black Agenda" (W. Fletcher and E. Newport); (8) "The Theory of Vouchers and Housing Availability in the Black Community" (S. Ards); (9) "The Colonizing Impact of Public Service Bureaucracies in Black Communities" (J. Pope); (10) "Understanding the Persisting Crisis of Black Youth Unemployment" (K. Jennings); and (11) "The Role of Land and African-Centered Values in Black Economic Development" (L. Hogan). A conclusion by R. Hatcher summarizes the major points made in the essays concerning the effective use by African Americans of political power to create an environment and climate to permit expansion of the economic base for community development. (SLD)