W. Avon Drake (d. 2008) was an associate professor of political science in Virginia Commonwealth University's School L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs. Robert D. Holsworth is a founding director for the Center for Public Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University and serves on the Board of Visitors of Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the coauthor of The Indispensable University.

Winner of the Outstanding Book Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, 1997"I strongly recommend this book to sociologists, political scientists, politicians, and business leaders as an analysis of race relations and economic development."--Lewis M. Killian, author of Black and White: Reflections of a White Southern Sociologist

• Introduction   11   The Affirmative Action Debate   112   Black Politics in Richmond, 1945-89   373   Set-Aside Politics   704   Set-Asides and the Broader Strategy for Black Progress   955   White Responses to Affirmative Action   1156   Richmond v. Croson in the Courts   1387   Urban Politics after Croson   161Notes   185Bibliography   201Index   209