An internationally renowned Harvard sociology professor, author William Julius Wilson has nonetheless had “unforgettable experiences” that tell him that as a black male in America, he is feared. The portrayal of black men in the media and their famously high rates of incarceration contribute to negative and racist perceptions of black males. This is especially problematic when employers assess black males’ suitability for jobs and is exacerbated for low-skilled black males. As a social scientist, Wilson sets out to identify the leading structural contributors to the lack of economic and social opportunity for African American males. Since the Jim Crow segregation era, progress has been made. However, among the legacies of historic racial oppression in America are high levels of criminality among black males. Such problems will not be addressed, Wilson argues, if we are not willing to discuss the reasons why poverty persists for so many African Americans.

Social scientists have yet to agree on the complex and interconnected factors that continue to contribute to racial inequality, including the two main contributors: social structure and culture. These factors have also affected Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans, but in this book Williams will use research on inner-city black men to elaborate his contribution to the structure-versus-culture debate.