The City of Delray Beach has been divided by race, and in 2006, this tension was heightened when a white police officer shot and killed an African American high school student. The City hired a local non-profit group to help bridge the cultural divide, and the non-profit group started a Community Study Circle program. Study Circles are groups of 8 to 12 people from different cultural backgrounds, who meet once a week for a six week basis to have a dialogue about community issues.