This timely and important book examines variations in minority and majority educational patterns, assesses their underlying causes, and offers recommendations for increasing the rate of minority educational progress. Miller proposes a large-scale, long-term national effort to improve the economic, social, cultural, and institutional factors that influence the educational advancement of minorities. "At a time when programs aimed at the poor and minorities are under intense attack, no other recent work seems to make as important a scholarly argument as Miller's for the continued and increased public investments for these groups". -- James M. McPartland, Contemporary Sociology "(This is) an excellent text for class use and is perhaps the best overview of current debates". -- Grace Kao, American Journal of Sociology "An American Imperative is as important as An American Dilemma was fifty years ago. With respect to education and social welfare policy, this book may well become the nation's principal intellectual reference". -- Edmund W. Gordon, Yale University