How We Began

Our Mission

Philosophy

"I" = "WE"

TAGV was founded in 1990 by Dr. Ulric Johnson, then the Director of the City of Boston’s Department of Health and Hospital Gang/Drug Prevention Program. Dr. Johnson's experience traveling and presenting on gang/drug violence prevention, coupled with his background working as a diversity trainer, mental health counselor, and educator, pushed him to start the youth and family based program that was so desperately needed.

​We aim to empower both the youth and their family-members by providing them with culturally appropriate knowledge, skills, tools ,and relationships so they can cultivate mental health and wellness in their own lives and  in their community.

 The philosophy of the TAGV program is based on Dr. Johnson’s belief that the root cause of all violence and mental health issues is the failure to appreciatethe many diverse aspects of one's self and the nuances of others including their color, culture, class, character, and context.  These form the model of the 10C’sof Awareness and Transformation.  

TAGV focuses on the Afro Centric ideology of "I" also meaning "WE." It’s the concept that one’s actions affects not only the individual, but also her/his family and the entire community.  Success, therefore,  is achieved when we work collectively to reach the same goal.