But so were the antagonisms that had long separated middle- and upper-class blacks from their sharecropper cousins.

The city has been controlled by a black political structure for 25 years and has become a mecca for middle- and upper-class blacks.

At the same time, however, middle-class and upper-class blacks have also paid more to live in the suburbs and have left the inner cities of former industrial powerhouses behind.

He was exposed to only upper-class blacks and mostly benevolent whites.

While they agreed that the achievements among well-educated middle- and upper-class blacks had been significant, they said that poor blacks continued to struggle.

It became a gathering place for upper-class blacks, including many of the well known personages of the age.

But Dr. Thornton sees broader ramifications to the issue both for blacks in the county and for upper-class blacks in general.

"To say we've got 15 slots for blacks and then not have any other definitions doesn't pit white against black, it pits upper-class blacks against low-income blacks," he said.

Northwest remains a predominantly black community but according to the city planning department, most middle- and upper-class blacks moved to other neighborhoods after desegregation.

While laudable, such activities demonstrate to some the organization's preoccupation with middle-and upper-class blacks.