Schools and classrooms, if well conceived, can serve as protective environments for the positive development of African American students with learning disabilities (LD) (Keogh & Weisner, 1993). Many African American students who lack resiliency often struggle with life's challenges and may be predisposed to negative outcomes in life, so the focus on individual and relationship resiliency characteristics in classroom instruction is needed (McCabe, Morales, Cranford, McPherson, & Boyd, 2007). The literature indicates that social and academic outcomes are more positive for African American students who exhibit resiliency (Patterson, 2002). The extent of a positive impact on these students depends on the type and quality of the intervention provided (Spekman, Goldberg, & Herman, 1993). An instructional focus on the resiliency areas of individual and relationship characteristics provides students with instruction that is multifaceted and acknowledges the complexity of life within school and beyond the boundaries of school for African American students with LD. (Contains 2 tables.)