Advocates 4 Peace & Urban Unity provides trauma-informed violence prevention services specifically targeting gang-involved youth in South LA. Through their GRYD program, they help young people recover from trauma caused by gang violence and find new, positive futures through mentorship and intervention. The E2 LA Peacemaker program directly engages high-risk youth with conflict mediation and trauma recovery efforts to reduce violence and support long-term healing. APUU creates safe spaces where youth can heal from violence-related trauma, break cycles of gang involvement, and build healthier futures with comprehensive support services.

Architecture + Advocacy equips people with fundamental architecture skills so they can participate in designing their own homes, businesses, and neighborhoods. Through hands-on workshops and design-build projects, youth learn to use architecture as a tool to improve their communities without displacement. The organization partners with community organizations to conduct research, host public events, and create small-scale projects like furniture and pocket parks that directly benefit local residents. By training young people in design thinking and spatial justice, Architecture + Advocacy empowers the next generation to combat inequality and advocate for community-led development.

Community Coalition is a grassroots organization working to transform the social and economic conditions in South Los Angeles through youth leadership development, community organizing, and policy advocacy. Their Youth Leadership Institute provides comprehensive programming for young people ages 14-24, including leadership training, college and career preparation, civic engagement opportunities, and youth organizing campaigns. Youth participants engage in community-based research, policy advocacy on issues like education equity and criminal justice reform, and develop skills in public speaking, organizing, and community mobilization. The organization creates pathways for young people to become community leaders and advocates for systemic change affecting South LA neighborhoods.

LA Legal Assistant provides legal advocacy and housing stability services that directly benefit youth and families in South Central Los Angeles by preventing eviction and homelessness. The organization offers education and outreach programs, including eviction prevention workshops, that help youth understand their housing rights and financial literacy. By keeping families housed, they ensure young people maintain stable living environments essential for education and development. Their services particularly support the 33% of LA’s homeless population that is Black, helping youth avoid the trauma and disruption of housing displacement.

The Labor Community Strategy Center is a think tank/act tank that empowers working-class communities of color through organizing, advocacy, and movement building around civil rights, environmental justice, and transportation equity. Their Bus Riders Union campaigns for accessible, affordable public transportation and fights for transit justice, particularly benefiting South LA youth and families who rely on public transit. Youth can engage in community organizing campaigns addressing issues like climate justice, public health, and the criminal legal system that directly impact their communities. The organization provides opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills while advocating for systemic change in transportation, environmental policy, and urban justice.

The Los Angeles Tenants Union is a grassroots organization that empowers tenants to fight for housing justice through collective action and tenant organizing. The South Central Local Tenants chapter has been particularly active around USC, organizing student tenants and local residents to resist displacement, fight rent increases, and advocate for tenant protections in areas facing gentrification pressures. Through know-your-rights workshops, direct action campaigns, and community organizing, LATU engages young people in social justice advocacy and teaches them to be powerful advocates for housing rights. Youth and students learn organizing skills, tenant law, and community solidarity while participating in campaigns that address the housing crisis affecting South Central communities.

The Los Angeles Urban League has served African Americans and underserved communities since 1921, providing access to career development, entrepreneurship opportunities, and personal growth programs. The organization offers youth-oriented programming including back-to-school events, backpack giveaways, and career fairs designed to help young people prepare for future employment. Youth can benefit from the organization’s Intuit IDEAS entrepreneurship program and various workforce development initiatives that build skills and economic empowerment. The Urban League creates pathways for young people to access living-wage careers and develop business acumen in a supportive, culturally responsive environment.