The chapter explores three distinct issues related to the relationship among inequality, race and ethnicity, and crime: the extent of inequality with respect to the economic status of racial and ethnic minorities; inequality and crime, including a review of the leading theories of crime; and the impact of the civil rights movement. The concept of the Underclass and the impact of drugs are also discussed in this chapter. The study finds that minorities are disproportionately represented among the poor in America. The relationship between inequality and criminal behavior is explained by the major theories of crime. Strain, differential association, social disorganization, culture conflict, and conflict theories, in different ways, all predict higher rates of criminal behavior among the poor and racial and ethnic minorities. Figures, notes