I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE

- Ubuntu

  • La Tanya Ward is a South Central LA native, human capital builder, and front-line activist for healing and empowerment in underserved Black communities. In 2019, she co-organized the Nipsey Hussle-inspired Peace March on the corner of Slauson and Crenshaw for LA gangs. This resulted in uniting over 500 rival gang members from over 40 different gangs. LaTanya was recognized in 2020 as an Ambassador of the City of Los Angeles for her street outreach work in violence prevention.

    Growing up in street gang culture, LaTanya’s own powerful journey of self-transformation fuels her passion for addressing root causes of violence and trauma. advocating for education and healing, as well as building approaches to conflict resolution and community health.

    In 2015, LaTanya began repurposing gang meetings in her neighborhood to facilitate healing circles that introduced participants to alternative ways of thinking and communicating. To be better equipped to lead her community and in her words, “to multiple the impact of my lived experience by education,” she enrolled in Los Angeles Trade Technical College and graduated from the Community Planning and Economic Development program in 2016.   

    In 2019 she founded Gaining Unity Through Transformation (GUTT) Healing Circles, partnering with Raven Morgan to provide a culturally relevant space to support healing for the South LA Black community. Over the past decade, LaTanya has worked with many city and state programs, initiatives, and campaigns for police and prison reform, public health, violence prevention, and workforce development. 

    La Tanya is also the owner of Filthy Rich Banana Pudding, a mobile dessert business serving Leimert Park and the Crenshaw district which helps to fund WARFOA initiatives.

  • Raven Morgan is a Los Angeles, CA native, raised in Inglewood, CA. She is an alumna of Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Community Development. She is also a graduate of the Los Angeles African American Public Policy Institute. After a career in policy, she decided to pivot and dive to the world of entrepreneurship. From this platform she now creates and defines what “community sustainability and development” means to her. She works in the industries of real estate and wellness.

    In 2018, Raven began to host intimate breathwork sessions for her friends and love ones. “I would tap in and check on my people and a lot of them were stressed or disconnected from self. Years prior, in college, I began practicing Kemetic breathwork as a means of stress management. I continued to educate myself and also attained certifications. At the time, I noticed a lot of wellness practices did not seem relatable, no soul, and no Blackness. So, I started to host intimate soulful, smooth, and enjoyable breath work sessions in my backyard. Those grew into different settings. This is where and how I met LaTanya!” (Raven).

    Since 2019, Raven and LaTanya have served in tandem as partners of GUTT (Gain Unity Through Transformation) Healing Circle. “LaTanya is my sister. As an entrepreneur I have grown to learn the importance of intentional partnerships. I choose to work along side LaTanya, because of who she is. She is sincere, expresses herself with integrity, is dedicated to self improvement and loves Black people. We are polar opposite in a lot of ways, and our backgrounds do not mirror, but we complement each other because of our shared love for self elevation, moving with integrity and love for the Black community. I am grateful to serve and manifest WARFOA. It is a resource the that is needed and has the potential to save then uplift the quality of life for Black people. That is a worthy cause I am willing to dedicate my time and effort toward. If you are reading this and it resonates or you are curious, tap in. You do not have to be Black to support WARFOA, oddly, we exist in a world where it’s taboo to love self in fear of being anti others. It’s all love, let’s be honest about the inequities of this society and let’s build together! (Raven).