OUR STORY
IT STARTED WHEN WE LISTENED.
The We Got Us Movement began during the height of COVID-19. While the world focused on services, we chose to focus on the experts who are often ignored: Black teenagers. We listened to their stories, their struggles, and their visions for a better future.
WE DIDN’T CREATE ANOTHER PROGRAM FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE INVITED THEM TO BUILD THE SOLUTION.
Instead of guessing what youth need, we co-created a peer-to-peer mental health model alongside Dr. Jamila T. Davis and Dr. Juan Rios, LCSW. We asked young people to lead the design, the language, and the action. The result isn't just a program—it's a movement built for us, by us.
BUILD A CULTURE OF CARE
A collective commitment to healing, led by the very people who deserve wellness the most.
THE STUDENTS BECAME LEADERS.
PEER MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADORS
HEALING CIRCLES
WELLNESS ACTIVITIES
YOUTH-LED RESEARCH
ART AS HEALING
COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS
We Got Us Peer Mental Health Ambassadors are the heart of the movement. Trained in mental health first aid and peer support, they lead healing circles, facilitate wellness activities, and conduct youth-led research to identify the needs of their community. Their work ensures that young people are not just recipients of care, but leaders in creating it.
A WORD FROM
DR. JAMILA
T. DAVIS
CO-CREATOR, THE WE GOT US MOVEMENT
“WE GOT US BEGAN WHEN WE CHOSE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. WE LISTENED.”
I have spent years watching adults create programs for young people without first asking young people what they need. We Got Us began when we chose to do something different. We listened. Young people told us they needed safe spaces, trusted adults, and better ways to support one another.
They did not want to be treated only as problems to be solved. They wanted opportunities to become part of the solution. What happened next was powerful. The students became leaders. They began turning their pain into purpose, their experiences into research, and their ideas into policy.
They showed us that when young people are properly trained, supported, protected, and trusted, they can help transform their schools and communities.
“WE GOT US IS MORE THAN A PROGRAM. IT IS A PROMISE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE TO DO THIS WORK ALONE.”
Dr. Jamila T. Davis
Co-Creator, The We Got Us Movement