Black theatre has come a long way from the major stereotypes of black people established by white playwrights, but it is still trying to convey the fact that blacks remain in a kind of prison. The slow pace of black theatre in becoming art is obviously due to the long degradation of blacks, the tolerated injustice of whites, and the belated granting of dignity to black family life. From the paternalistic attitude toward blacks in "Uncle Tom's Cabin," revealing the evil of an unjust social system, through plays by Langston Hughes, Louis Peterson, and others, to the fresh, angry viewpoint of "A Raisin in the Sun," black theatre finally progressed to portray family unity and the importance of self-respect. In two recent films, "Lady Sings the Blues" and "Sounder," the ugly image of the maligned, distorted, sexless black woman was overcome. However, colleges and universities bear a great responsibility for training and educating black theatre workers in all roles with a goal of a human dignity of universal quality. (JM)