Our Kind of People

"Fascinating. . . . [Graham] has made a major contribution both to African-American studies and the larger American picture." —New York Times

Debutante cotillions. Million-dollar homes. Summers in Martha's Vineyard. Membership in the Links, Jack & Jill, Deltas, Boule, and AKAs. An obsession with the right schools, families, social clubs, and skin complexion. This is the world of America’s Black upper class and the focus of the first book written about the black elite by a member of this hard-to-penetrate group.

Lawrence Otis Graham, one of the nation's most prominent spokesmen on race and class, spent six years interviewing the wealthiest black families in America. He includes historical photos of a people that made their first millions in the 1870s. Graham tells who's in and who's not in black society today with separate chapters on the elite in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Nashville, and New Orleans. A new Introduction explains the controversy that the book elicited from both the black and white communities.

Who are America’s Black upper class, and what are the unspoken rules that govern their lives?

• Historical Origins: A detailed look at the roots of the black aristocracy, starting with families who made their first millions in the 1870s and built dynasties that continue today.
• Exclusive Social Clubs: An insider’s tour of the most prestigious and private groups for men, women, and children, including the powerful fraternities and sororities that shape black society.
• The Politics of Skin Color: A frank examination of the obsession with skin complexion, "good hair," and family background, and the "brown paper bag test" that has defined status for generations.
• A National Portrait: A city-by-city guide to the elite, revealing who’s in and who’s not in the most influential black communities, from New York and Los Angeles to Chicago and Atlanta.