In 1987 a project was undertaken to assess the status of African Americans in the United States in the topical areas to be addressed by the National Research Council's (NRC) Study Committee on the Status of Black Americans: education, employment, income and occupations, political participation and the administration of justice, social and cultural change, health status and medical care, and the family. Six volumes resulted from this study. This volume, the final one in the series, is a set of critiques of the NRC study by some members of the Trotter Institute's study groups. The NRC study has provided much useful data and some important considerations, but it is oriented toward racial discrimination in the dimensions of individual action. No consideration is given to the"extra-individual effect" of institutional racism. The following essays, referring to individual NRC study chapters, are included: (1) "Introduction" (Wornie L. Reed); (2) "Critique of Chapter 5, 'Black Political Participation'" (Susan Welsh); (3) "Critique of Chapter 6, 'Blacks in the Economy'" (Herbert Hill); (4) "Critique of Chapter 7, 'The Schooling of Black Americans'" (Antoine M. Garibaldi); (5) "Critique of Chapter 8, 'Black Americans' Health'" (William A. Darity, Sr.); (6) "Critique of Chapter 9, 'Crime and the Administration of Criminal Justice'" (E. Yvonne Moss); (7) "Critique of Chapters 6 and 10, 'Blacks in the Economy' and 'Children and Families'" (Robert B. Hill and James B. Stewart); and (8) "The Status of African-Americans: Convergence or Divergence" (James B. Stewart). An appendix lists project study group members and contributors. Each essay contains references. (Contains one figure and two tables.) (SLD)