Will today’s black middle class reproduce itself? Through analysis of major trends in the composition of occupations by race, class, and gender over the past 40 years, this paper assesses the growth of the black middle class in two ways: 1.) over time and 2.) in comparison to progress made by other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. The findings suggest there are good reasons to be optimistic about the future of the black middle class, but also point to persistent disparities that impede the group’s economic success.