African-American males are disappearing at alarming rates before our eyes through racially driven practices that secure their position in the penal system and special education. Though many scholars in the field of education have highlighted alarming rates of incarceration and overrepresentation in special education for African-American males, society has accepted these practices as a normal standard of living for Black males in this country. African-American males who have not become part of the penal system and have successfully matriculated into college are considered to be an exception to the rule rather than a standard to live up to. Though a plethora of research exists depicting a dismal state of affairs for African-American males, as evidenced by their lack of academic achievement and overrepresentation in special education, absent from the literature are stories reflecting resilience in the midst of academic and environmental adversities. The purpose of this inquiry is to explore the experiences of African-American males with past histories of enrollment in special education who have demonstrated resilience and are successfully attending a community college. The focus of this study is to examine protective factors that led to their successful transition to a community college. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]