Most of my work focuses on the well being of young people who live in underserved or ill-served urban environments. I give special attention to racial and gender inequities that are written into policies (historical or contemporary) and practices (both formal and informal). Most of all, I aim to shed empirical light on instances where entire communities display resiliency and thrive, despite the odds being against them. I believe this type of scholarship holds the greatest promise to identify best practices to improve the lives of racially marginalized urban youth until there is wider structural and cultural change in U.S. society.