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are criticized, corrected and accused of badbehavior, and are the first to be suspected oftransgressions, this takes its toll on the Blackpsyche. 6 To restore their sense of Black malepersonhood, they seek out peer-based supportsystems: either positive, like sport teams; orpotentially negative ones, like gangs.POSITIVE INTERVENTIONSMany constructive efforts are under way tocounter Black youth alienation:• Programs like Our Gang Impacted FamiliesTeam (GIFT) and Street Level GangOutreach Program provide intense casemanagement for families of gang members.• Programs like Self Enhancement Inc. andR.E.A.P provide alternative pathways to moreconstructive Black, Latino and Asian identity.• Community Health Workers, who come fromthe community, have direct experience withthe conditions affecting our youth.But much more is needed.REBUILDING STRONG, STABLECOMMUNITIESBlack communities have traditionally providedsecure havens and positive social and culturalinfluences. But our neighborhoods are beingdestabilized by the linked dynamics of urbanrenewal, gentrification and Black middle-classout-migration.Our neighborhoods are critically importantbuffers to the microassaults, microinsults andmicroinvalidations we receive from WhiteAmerican society. Former Oregon State SenatorAvel Gordly, in her personal memoir, recalls theprotective support of neighborhood women,church members, Black business owners, andguidance from elders and family members. 7As a young male, my behavior was monitoredand corrected by adults whose culturalobligation was to see that my behavior matchedstandards set by our parents and what might becalled the Black Collective. My dentist, doctor,lawyer, teachers, realtor, etc. were all Black.As urban renewal brought on Black Removal,our communities experienced an increase ingangs, crime, drugs and incarceration. Howcan we improve neighborhood cohesion?One solution would be to meet the needsfor low-income housing to ensure that Blackhomeowners can remain in their neighborhoods.Another one is to support existing and emergingBlack-owned business. In Oregon, only 1.2percent of businesses are Black-owned firms. 8In addition, R.E.A.P., Albina Headstart and Self-Enhancement Inc. are excellent examples ofAfrocentric programs that support a sense ofBlack identity. Programs like these promote thegoal of Black community revitalization.LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUALTRANSGENDER AND QUEEREXPERIENCES IN SCHOOL“Whether they’re too visibleor invisible, LGBT youthtoo often find themselvesswept down a pipeline thattypically begins with conflictin the home, continues atschool with bullying, leadsto suspension and expulsionand eventually the juvenilejustice system.” 936