This volume is a collection of essays on black short stories written between 1998 and 1976. It aims to say something about the black short story as a genre and the development of the racial situation in America as well. The primary aim is to introduce the reader to this long neglected genre of black fiction. In contrast to the black novel, the short story has hardly been given extensive criticism, let alone serious attention. The individual essays of this collection aim at presenting new points of critical orientation in the hope of reviving and fostering further discussions. They provide a variety of approaches, and a great diversity of critical points of view.