These notes are from Race, Place and Risk, Harold M. Rose and Paula D. McClain, on Black Homicide in Urban America.

In our attempt to understand structural violence and how to find non-violent ways of coping with such violence, theory plays an important role. Leo Buscaglia took the theory on which he based his policy and practice of Special Education and translated that into a policy of caring, of hearing, of loving others and living more fully. Many of us find his insights still compelling twenty-five years later. The translation of theory into policy and practice is like that. It tends to live on through the hope and warmth it breeds.

Our founding of Love 1A on Leo Buscalia's Living, Loving, and Learning represents building on programs of the past, so that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Jaime Shepherd began the building of his process text in November, 1999. Jaime's approach was from the micro level. He translated his personal experience with violence and young black men into an attempt to understand and change the structural violence he saw. A piece of what struck Jaime was the sheer number of deaths he encountered. That's a macro piece.

William Oliver's approach to The Violent Social World of Black Men is a micro approach. He, like Jaime, is trying to understand how and why such violence occurs. We are going to look closely at his approach.

But first, we want to acquaint you with Rose and McClain's ecological approach.