There seems to be "open season" on the lives of young, unarmed African American men and women in the United States. Stand Your Ground law/Castle Doctrine has become the tool of legal lynching in the United States. Across varied and diverse communities, leaders are grappling with this phenomenon with a sense of urgency. This qualitative study examined how 18 local leaders in civic, local, and state government, education, and ministry are heeding the call of action to become change agents who address racism and unjust laws in order to create an environment of justice in the City of Salem, Oregon. The objective of the study was to explore: leaders' understanding of the racial climate in the city; perspectives on Stand Your Ground law/Castle Doctrine and its role in sustaining racism and fear in the African American community; and challenges, issues, and actions for change toward a positive environment and increased authentic involvement for African Americans in the community. Findings revealed that racism is rampant in the city and leads to the loss of power and devaluation and negative treatment of African Americans. Participants reported that white citizens were empowered to protect themselves without accountability while the laws functioned differently for African Americans. Additionally, the data revealed that the fear white participants had towards African Americans was unfounded because Stand Your Ground law/Castle Doctrine offered protection for them. This study makes recommendations to create proactive steps to address racial discrimination, policies, and laws to promote racial justice by developing authentic cross-racial relationships, implementing anti-racism education and dialogue, and increasing African American involvement in local and state leadership. [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.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]