The problem underlying this study was to ascertain if children of the same age and similar socio economic backgrounds had a variance in personality characteristics relative to a difference in race. The study was conducted on black and white children of fifth grade level in a low socio economic area of a city approximately 75,000 population. The schools in the area were integrated.In determining what personality differences, if any, existed between these students the Children's Personality questionnaire published by the Institute for Personality and Ability Testing was used. The results, the author feels, will be beneficial in dealing with and better understanding these students relative to their personality differences as well as to suggest related studies for further investigation.According to Robert Sutherland in his book Color, Class, and Personality certain patterns of behavior in the black race, such as clowning, agression, shifting the blame, striking back, etc. have become standard ways of meeting interracial situations. The trend toward integration may be overlooking personality differences. If such differences do exist - how many and to what degree between races on self-esteem scores are they present in a fifth grade child?A study conducted by Pogue (1964) investigated the triadic interrelationship of creativity, self-esteem, and race. For the race she used "the relationship between the portrayal of a body characteristic, skin color, and selfesteem. The population studied was composed of the students in ten classrooms, grades four, five, and six, of one school in Muncie, Indiana. This elementary school was located in a lower socio-economic area and the school population was composed of approximately half Negro students and half white students. A total of 263 students were studied." The findings of this study indicated "no significant difference32)According to a study made by Daphna L. Post (Research Report, Ball State University, 1952) 47 white and 47 colored children in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades of a low socio-economic area were compared as to personality and social adjustment. The school used in this study was integrated as well as the surrounding area. Fisher's "t" test for the significance of the difference between means was employed and the findings implied that there was no basic difference between low-class white and low-class colored children in this study on personality and social adjustment.In a study stated in Sutherland (p.75) it was found that the "...shadow of race varied widely. Some persons compensated through humor, others through extreme ambition, others through outright aggressiveness, and still others through reticence and withdrawal.""Unfortunately, much of the research and literature related to the Negro is not only out of date, but out of character with the 'new Negro' who has exploded into the 1960's in search of his new identity." (Lanza p. 19)In another study by Rushton (p. 178-84) the CPQ was used to measure the relationship between personality characteristics and scholastic success in 11 year old children. According to Rushton, Cattell's CPQ appears to be one of the more promising instruments available for use with children because:1. It provides measures on fourteen primary factors (the second order factors--anxiety and extraversion-are derived from weighted sums of the first order factors).2. The factors have been derived froma considerable body of research and they correspond broadly to those found in adults.The overall summary of Rushton's study showed "the stable extravert child is the one, who in these results, succeeds in his school work.""Perhaps well adjusted people are not distracted to the same degree by their personal problems." (Rushton p. 180) It is hoped that this research can, "in some small way, help ones working with these children in overcoming their loyalty to a lower-class culture which is presently their source of social approval." (Sutherland p. 121) Thus, they might someday be new recruits for middle-class respectability.