The Hamiltons'lucid study of the history of policy making in social welfare, from the New Deal to the present, is written from a black perspective and is meticulously researched and documented. Black civil rights organizations, seeking a universal social welfare system, jobs in the regular work force, and national hegemony over government programs, worked for policies that comprised a dual agenda: the pursuit of race-specific issues and the fight for a social welfare agenda that included all citizens regardless of race. Part of the story is that of the clash of the two agendas.... Highly recommended.