A review of the literature on Black English was made to determine what information is available and to assess the credibility of the information. The review covered the years from 1865 through the first half of 1975. More than 75 documents were identified as potentially informative in the area of investigation. The linguistic features of Black English were listed in phonological, syntactical, and lexical categories. Vowels and consonants were subcategories for phonological features, while nouns, verbs, and other parts of speech were the categories for syntactical and lexical features. This information process revealed a limited amount of information on Black English which was credible. It appears that Black English is spoken by individuals who have retained features of their West African linguistic heritage. Black English features are considered evidence of the continuity of West African linguistic features over time. These features add credibility to theories of cultural transmission from West Africa to African-Americans. (Author/RB)