Ujamaa Place Helps Young Black Men Break Cycles and Build Futures
St. Paul-based Ujamaa Place supports young African American men facing barriers like homelessness, incarceration, and low literacy. Through a culturally grounded model called the Theory of Transformation, the nonprofit offers education, coaching, job training, and life skills support to help participants achieve stability and long-term success.
Ujamaa Place is working to address systemic racial and economic inequities by supporting young African American men, primarily between the ages of 18 and 30, who face economic disadvantage and repeated cycles of failure. The St. Paul-based nonprofit provides access to education, employment, housing stability, and supportive services through a culturally grounded approach that emphasizes personal transformation and self-determination.
From its founding, Ujamaa Place set out to build a multi-partnered community of services where participants feel safe, supported and empowered. That intention evolved into the organization’s guiding framework: the Theory of Transformation, a holistic model that helps men realize their potential and become responsible, contributing members of society.
Building a community of change
Ujamaa Place offers far more than a traditional workforce program. Its Theory of Transformation centers on reducing barriers to economic opportunity through integrated services, tailored coaching, and cultural connection. The model prioritizes outcomes such as stable housing, educational advancement, employment, family reconnection, and eliminating contact with the criminal justice system.
Curriculum elements include academic support, job readiness, and life skills development. Participants receive assistance in meeting basic needs, securing permanent housing, and rebuilding relationships with family members and children. Central to the model are high-context coaching and community-building among men with shared lived experiences, with a strong foundation in spirituality, African American identity, and empowerment.
Tailored support
Ujamaa Place serves men facing significant barriers to employment, including homelessness, long-term unemployment, low literacy, and lack of a high school diploma or GED. Participants follow individualized career pathway plans that integrate education, employment training, and wraparound services.
Upon enrollment, each man is paired with a dedicated coach. Together, they develop an Individual Transformation Plan. Participants attend sessions at Ujamaa Place three to four times per week, for two to four hours per day, engaging in group learning and one-on-one coaching.
Education as a key
A central goal of Ujamaa Place is to support educational advancement. Each participant is guided through an Education Development Plan and has access to partnerships with educational institutions, including Saint Paul College, that offer GED prep, college-level coursework, and apprenticeship pathways.
Educational services include counseling, tutoring, TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) testing, and post-secondary credentialing. Education and employment programming are offered concurrently and aligned with Minnesota’s high-demand career fields, helping men move into jobs with family-sustaining wages.
Employment preparation, placement
Ujamaa Place also emphasizes job readiness and placement. Programming includes resume development, mock interviews, and job search support. In addition, participants are trained in soft skills such as professionalism, teamwork, time management and communication.
To build long-term financial stability, men also complete courses in financial literacy, banking, investment, and computer skills. The organization offers four-month internship placements with local employers at no cost to businesses, making Ujamaa men valuable assets to the community.
Partnerships, wraparound services
Ujamaa Place works closely with community-based organizations to align services and meet participants’ complex needs. The nonprofit provides navigation and supportive services that break down barriers to employment and promote success across the career development continuum.
In recent years, Ujamaa Place has expanded its programming to offer more intensive financial literacy sessions, personalized education support, and post-secondary scholarships.
A proven pathway forward
By stabilizing employment and expanding access to education, Ujamaa Place is helping to dismantle systemic inequities that have long marginalized African American men in the Twin Cities. Through community, coaching, and culturally relevant programming, the organization is not just transforming lives, it’s helping build a more equitable future for all.
Francina Carter is the advancement associate at Ujamaa Place. For more information, visit www.ujamaaplace.org.
Community Voices is a series created to amplify the voices of local organizations committed to dismantling disparities in Minnesota.