This is a study of black movements in the USA, with a special emphasis on the role of the urban poor. It traces the trajectory of such movements from the time of Booker T. Washington to the present, providing an integrated discussion of class. The topics addressed include the question of whether the Black Power movement is simply another version of traditional American ethnic politics, or whether it has wider appeal. Also considered is the role played by the federal government in implicitly grooming social conservatives such as Louis Farrakhan to assume leadership positions, rather than leftist, grass-roots, class-orientated leaders. The author seeks to avoid the traditional liberal and social-democratic approaches in favour of a wider perspective that offers new insights into the history of black movements in the USA.