Primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is probably much less common in blacks than whites. We reviewed 100 consecutive black patients with retinal detachment who were seen over a 3 year period, and compared them to a randomly selected group of 100 whites seen during the same period. Trauma was the most common cause of detachment in blacks (52%), but was a relatively uncommon cause in whites (12%). Posterior vitreous detachment was the most frequent etiology of detachment in whites (47%), but was rare in blacks (15%). Aphakia was the second most common etiology in whites (30%), while it was relatively uncommon in blacks (13%). Myopia and/or lattice was a more frequent associated finding in blacks with detachment (19%), than in whites (9%). These findings are discussed and the literature reviewed.