This volume focuses on the black family in the United States and the social forces and issues that affect it, including education, healthcare, racism, poverty, and politics. It examines the effects of these social forces on individuals as well as families.

Contributions are varied. "A Biscuit for a Letter" examines education in the antebellum South. "Black Intellectuals on Trial" and "Africans' Perspectives on Race in the US" both analyse the role of race and racism in America. "Feminization of Poverty and the Black Family" illustrates the double burden of race and gender borne by black women. "It's Gotta Be Some Drama!" analyses the televised depiction of black colleges and universities. "African-centred Research Frameworks" studies the importance of cultural awareness in academia. "Work to Be Done" recounts the activism of black women in the Democratic Party.

This volume offers an interdisciplinary approach to study of the black family in the United States, taking into account the forces of the larger society that influence it. The Black Family and Society is the most recent volume in Transaction's Africana Studies series.