ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the male experience in street life-oriented black communities in the United States (US). It suggests that such an agenda be fashioned for other groups that make up the streets. Across street life expressions, through positive and negative efforts, these men have acquired a strong set of entrepreneurial, leadership and organizational skills employed to confront the effects of racism and economic impoverishment. Payne's and Brown's theoretical conceptualization of resiliency argue that street life is one of three commonly used "sites of resiliency" by low-income black men in the US A social justice research based initiative is a way to address the conditions that make these severely under resourced communities fertile for the prevalence of street life activities. Participatory action research (PAR) work is one way that will allow for these men to increase their overall human capital. PAR projects involving the streets should include training programs in at least two key areas: research and community organizing.
