We Got Your Back

Protection. Structure. Opportunity.

We Got Your Back™ is a national protection and empowerment initiative designed to stabilize, defend, and develop young Black males ages 7-19 in environments where systems fail at alarming rates. We operate in America’s most dangerous cities not to sensationalize violence, but to interrupt it with structure, opportunity, and accountability. Our position is clear: Young Black males are not disposable.
They are not invisible, and they will not be left to navigate danger alone. WGYB exists to make young men change agents, not casualties, by preserving life first, then building capacity for leadership, income, and responsibility.

Preservation Before Progress

Too often, preservation is missing from youth development. Before skills can grow, life must be protected. Before opportunity can matter, the moment must be survived. WGYB protects young men from the direct and indirect environments that consistently fail them: unstable households, absent fathers, unsafe streets, over-policing, under-resourcing, and chronic exposure to trauma. We address reality without excuses and provide practical, disciplined training that prepares young men to move safely, wisely, and strategically.

Proven, Not Theoretical

In 2020, We Got Your Back took young Black males from Chicago, Cincinnati, and Dallas on the Opportunity Tour. Each participant received:

• A weekly stipend

• Financial training, including QuickBooks

• Exposure to structured opportunities beyond their zip code

The model worked because opportunity paired with accountability always does.

Brotherhood When the Household Is Broken

WGYB functions as a protective fraternity, offering a natural support system for young Black males who have endured generations of abuse, neglect, disrespect, environmental trauma, and the absence of consistent fatherhood.

• When dads are missing.

• When representation is lacking.

• When profiling replaces protection.

• When society places a “No Value” tag on their lives, WGYB steps in and says clearly: We got your back.

Early Intervention Saves Lives

Membership begins at age 7 because prevention beats correction every time. One of our core principles is Surrender: knowing when to submit, disengage, and live to fight another day. This principle exists to prevent no-win situations from becoming lifelong or fatal outcomes.

WGYB assures every member that:

• Their life matters

• Injustice will be addressed.

• Protection is not weakness; it is wisdom.

Membership & Support System

To be recognized as a member, each young man must complete the WGYB Mentoring Challenge and agree to honor the organization’s core values.

Upon acceptance, members receive:

• Official Certificate of Membership

• ID bracelet and necklace

• Access to an emergency 800-number for immediate support

Members also receive training in:

• Safely complying with lawful authority even when authority is wrong.

• Exercising First Amendment rights without violating the law

• De-escalation, self-preservation, and decision-making under pressure

Core Values: C.I.R.C.L.E.S.

WGYB is grounded in values that preserve life and build character:

• Commitment – A promise to avoid actions that lead to death or incarceration

• Integrity – Doing what is right, even when it costs

• Respect – Honoring the rights and humanity of others

• Character – Choosing discipline over bad company

• Loyalty – Having your brother’s back while holding him accountable

• Excellence – Giving your best, regardless of circumstance

• Surrender – Submitting to authority to preserve life and future rights.

As reminded by Martin Luther King Jr, character, integrity, and excellence are the true measures of a man.

Built by Advocacy. Sustained by Action.

We Got Your Back™ was designed in 2016 by Dr. Bruce C. Carter a lifelong youth advocate who has consistently confronted injustice wherever it appears, whether from school districts, state agencies, systems, or adults. His belief is simple: “For too long, the only time our youth become the focus is after death.” That belief has driven national work addressing childhood hunger, bullying, abuse, and systemic neglect impacting hundreds of thousands of young people through meals, scholarships, and direct engagement.

2026 Commitment

We Got Your Back™ is not a moment.

• It is a line of defense.

• A code of conduct.

• A brotherhood with purpose.

And for every young man who has ever felt unprotected, unseen, or unsupported, we mean it when we say: We’ve got your back.