Since its original publication, this book has become widely known as one of the most crucial political and social histories of African Americans. This updated third edition analyzes the effects of such factors as black neo-conservatism, welfare reform, the Million Man March, the mainstreaming of hip-hop culture, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina.

African Americans today face a systemic crisis of mass underemployment, mass imprisonment, and mass disfranchisement. This comprehensive reader makes clear to students the mutual constitution of these three crises.