This study investigated the educational and social experiences of African American males reared in poverty. The focus of this study was on a particular low- income neighborhood in Columbus, Georgia. I was interested in this neighborhood because I, an African American male, lived there for 7 years. I researched and recorded the lives of eight African American males, including myself, who were raised in this low- income neighborhood. The study investigated our life experiences, with emphasis on those issues related to education and race. With the neighborhood context as the frame, emphasis was placed on understanding why some of my African American male peers succeeded in school and life, while others did not. The study involved conducting life history interviews, and the data collected were used to construct first-person narratives of each participant. The narratives were analyzed to determine themes within and across the life histories. The four principle themes were: personal success, fatherly support/relationship, fair treatment, and better lifestyle. I found that all of the African American male participants had aspirations and dreams. They yearned for quality relationships with their fathers. The participants spoke out vehemently against racism, desiring to be treated fairly. All of the participants wanted something better in life than what they experienced as children and teenagers in the projects, and they worked towards the fulfillment of that dream. Resilience was also a common characteristic and was discussed in detail.