Historically, sociological study on “The Black Elite” has relied upon the theoretical roots of Du Bois’ “Talented Tenth” ideology to make sense of how African Americans who have gained professional and economic success in society have done so through the use of well-resourced and prestigious educational opportunities. This traditional pathway to elite status continues to have scholarly merit, however, it inadequately accounts for two recent developments in the areas of racial identity and class-based study: 1) an increase in immigration, broadening Blackness through an acknowledgement of the African diaspora; and 2) the proliferation of high-status creative, athletic, and entrepreneurial professional opportunities not requiring a traditional educational pedigree.

Chinyere’s dissertation— recipient of the Eastern Sociological Society’s 2025  Rose L. Coser Dissertation Proposal Award and Charles V. Willie Graduate Student Award— fills this gap, re-delineating the boundaries of who counts within the Black-elite construct in this moment in time. Through in-depth interviews with US-based well-resourced Black parents of school-aged children, she investigates the roles wealth, education, and culture play in the genealogy of Black elites in the United States.