YOU(th) Belong
Youth Leadership & Community Collective
YOU(th) Belong is a dynamic, youth-centered leadership and intergenerational community program for young people ages 13–25 across Metro Atlanta. Designed for today’s evolving social landscape, the program blends advocacy, creative expression, and leadership development to empower young people to shape their communities and their futures.
At its core, YOU(th) Belong is grounded in a youth leadership development model that supports participants in building the skills, confidence, and relationships needed to lead with purpose. Through monthly gatherings, leadership cohorts, and collaborative projects, young people develop competencies in:
Self-awareness and identity expression
Communication and storytelling (including creative arts and digital media)
Community organizing and advocacy
Collaborative leadership and team-building
Civic engagement and social impact strategy
To ensure youth voices remain central, the program includes two leadership bodies:
Youth Advisory Council (ages 13–17) – shaping program design and peer engagement
Youth Steering Committee (ages 18–25) – guiding strategy, partnerships, and community initiatives
Our meetings and programs are grounded in the leadership of young people and supported by a caring team of mental health practitioners, educators, creatives, and youth advocates who help nurture, guide, and strengthen their growth as leaders.
YOU(TH) BElong Leadership
Tim’m West
Founder and Visionary -
Tim’m T. West (he/they) is an award-winning educator, poet, hip-hop artist, and advocate whose three-decade career bridges classrooms, concert stages, and community movements. A graduate of Duke, The New School, and Stanford, he has transformed personal narrative into public service at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and social justice. Living openly with HIV since 1999, Tim’m has led national efforts to dismantle stigma through art, education, and mentorship—holding leadership roles with AID Atlanta, Houston’s St. Hope Foundation, and Chicago’s Center on Halsted. A former faculty member at The New School and Cal Poly Humboldt, he also launched Teach For America’s groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Initiative, shaping inclusion across 50+ regions. Now Executive Director of the LGBTQ+ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, he advances youth advocacy, research, and intersectional leadership through programs like the Georgia Youth Advocacy Fellowship, National Youth Advocacy Corps, and IGNYTE Symposium. Widely recognized as a pioneer of queer hip hop and named one of 31 Icons of LGBT History Month, Tim’m recently received the Stanford Pride Trailblazer Award for his enduring commitment to equity and liberation.
ANtHONY “AJ” MIze
Acting Director-
Anthony Mize Jr. (he/him/his) is an educator and strategist specializing in global education, organizational culture, and professional leadership development. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications, with concentrations in Integrated Marketing Communications and Music, from Tennessee State University, and a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University.
His professional experience spans higher education, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, including work in student affairs, human resources, and culture and belonging initiatives, with a focus on fostering inclusive environments and advancing student and professional success.
SOLAnGE TRAN
Visionary Storyteller-
Solange Tran (she/her) is an Atlanta-based visual storyteller and the founder of It's Majik Media, where she helps travel, wellness, experience-led brands, and cultural institutions build emotional connection and visibility through stories that move people. Through her work, Solange captures the small, authentic details that make an experience feel real, creating video and brand content that brings her clients’ visions to life. Since launching It’s Majik Media in September 2024, she has become known for blending cinematic creativity with message clarity, helping organizations tell stories that resonate deeply and inspire action. Her work reflects a belief that storytelling is most powerful when it is rooted in purpose, emotion, and human connection. Beyond her professional work, Solange is an active volunteer with You(th) Belong, supporting queer youth in Atlanta and helping create spaces where young people feel seen, safe, and celebrated.