Reported here is the work of two linguists, William Labov and Paul Cohen, and of two black researchers who know the culture of the inner city, Clarence Robins and John Lewis. Together they explore certain aspects of Black English vernacular (BEV) and certain political and cultural aspects of the black community. Part 1 (chapters 1-4) deals with the grammar and the sound system of BEV, especially the area where the two systems interact. Part 2 (chapters 5-7) examines the vernacular in its social setting, looking directly at the relations between the social system and the vernacular culture. Part 3 (chapters 8-9) contains two studies of the vernacular culture itself--the institution of ritual insults and personal narrative. (HOD)