No Colors

No COLORS is one of those bridges that connect our minds and emotions, yet it also strikes something else that lies deep within all of us. It touches our notion of community and our primal sense of home, because at its core, No COLORS is about the places we live, collectively and individually. More specifically, it's about the devastating changes that can and have occurred in those places as the result of gang-related youth violence - illuminating a world that many of us thought existed only in the news and other media. In reading No COLORS, we are reminded again and again that this world now surrounds us whether we live in the densest urban setting, the most orderly suburb or even a bucolic rural haven. No COLORS grabs us by the collar, turns our head around and holds our face to a passing scene that ranges from inconvenient and troublesome to dangerous and even lethal. But the hope, and equally important, the practical tools that the book provides, let us know that the view need not be permanent. Citizens and Community Leaders-Discover 100 benchmark ways to save our kids from gangs Parents-See how to recognize signs that our kids are vulnerable to gangs Educators-See how we can ;gang proof ; our schools Law Enforcement-Broaden our role beyond enforcement with rewarding interventions Church Communities-See how faith-based initiatives across America are saving our youth Ultimately, No COLORS, and the significant research and effort on which it is based, represents the many voices and experiences, including their own, that Ramey and Kipper have brought together to share with you. At the very least it will inform you. At best it will enlighten you. And if you are open to its compelling message, it will move you to action.