The after-school City School Outreach youth program captured the attention of high school male students by offering them a physically and psychologically safe environment to talk about issues they faced. The students of color who attended the program used various forms of creative written expression (i.e., poetry, spoken word, and hip hop) to document and share their lived realities as African American and Latino youth. An analysis of their writings and subsequent interviews revealed a variety of coping strategies and resources that these resilient adolescent males of color used to transcend adversity in their environment. When adolescent males of color have a strong sense of cultural pride and awareness, they are able to construct a healthy self-concept that assists them in acts of agency and resistance against negative psychological forces in their environment. These students used familial and nonfamilial support mechanisms, such as peers, church, and mentors, to assist them in reducing the stressful impact of racist stereotypes and community fragmentation. In light of these findings, teachers who wish to serve as a source of resilience in the lives of youth of color must make a concerted effort to acknowledge and appreciate differences and commonalities that exist among African American, Latino, and European-based mainstream culture. By building a healthy attitude toward their own culture, young people achieve the greater sense of direction and personal coherence needed for positive identity formation. When educators provide time and space for youth to examine and articulate their lives, social and intellectual climates form that can enrich and enliven their educational process.
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