UMOJA is a platform designed to empower black youth with tools to navigate daily challenges and flourish mentally, emotionally, and socially within their communities.
Daily Grounding
You carry the wisdom of those who came before you.
Anchor
Daily Grounding
Your feelings are valid. Your voice matters.
Breathe
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Our Foundation
Teens deserve a safe space. All mood check‑ins and data stay on the device — no tracking, no judgment.
We celebrate Black identity through affirmations, lessons, and Unsung Heroes, ensuring teens see themselves in their journey.
Designed to be affordable, engaging, and stigma-free. Mental wellness that meets teens where they are.
Mental wellness is not separate from cultural identity. UMOJA integrates both, offering tools that feel authentic, private, and affirming.
Every contribution helps us reach more teens, build better tools, and expand our impact within the community.
Your support allows us to keep UMOJA accessible, maintain privacy-first infrastructure, and develop new culturally grounded content.
Together, we're building a generation of emotionally strong, culturally proud young people.
Our Work
UMOJA is designed for Black teens navigating identity, emotion, and community. We offer tools that feel personal, not clinical.
Real-time community spaces that reset every 24 hours. Connect with peers in a environment where conversations stay fresh and data never lingers.
Daily check-ins that remain on the device. No tracking, no data extraction. Space to process without judgment.
Messages rooted in heritage, pride, and resilience. Not generic positivity, but affirmations that honor identity.
Stories of overlooked figures in Black history. Lessons that connect the past to personal strength.
Short, culturally grounded lessons that blend emotional literacy with tradition and identity.
Their activism, our foundation.
UMOJA was created with input from mentors, educators, and young people. It reflects real needs, not assumptions.
Private Space
Take a moment to acknowledge how you're feeling. Everything you share stays private on your device.
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● Your entry stays on this device only
This check-in exists only in this moment. Nothing you write is stored, tracked, or shared. When you clear or leave this page, your words disappear—giving you complete freedom to express yourself without judgment.
Our Team
Co-Founder, CTO
Josiah Forrest is trained in Python, Swift, and fullstack development. A Hidden Genius Project (DET 1) alum and current Youth Educator. He attends Oakland University as a sophomore.
Get In Touch
We believe in the power of community. Whether you’re an organization, a student, or just working toward mental wellness. Want to see how you can get involved, let’s talk.
Reach out—we’d love to hear your story, and you can follow our journey on Instagram @umoja.circle. We’ll be hosting a giveaway once we hit our first 1,000 followers!
The Why
Report Mental Illness
Leading Cause Of Death(15-34)
Black Psychologists
Service Access Rate
UMOJA was born from a shared realization: while conversations around mental health have grown louder, the tools available to Black youth remain limited, inaccessible, or culturally disconnected.
"As young Black men, we understood the pressure to remain 'strong', yet recognized the absence of resources that felt made for us."
The idea took shape through the Hidden Genius Project. As members of the same cohort, we were encouraged to build solutions that directly serve our communities.
UMOJA is not a replacement for therapy. It is a supportive space—one that meets Black youth where they are and affirms their experiences.