💙The Blue Heart Foundation

was born from an idea, to build and support young African American men in San Diego as they grow into confident, educated, emotionally strong leaders.

Founded in 2013 by the late Tracy R. Morris and continued by his wife, April Ray Morris, Blue Heart isn’t just a nonprofit — it’s a movement. A grassroots, Black-led organization rooted in Southeast San Diego, serving youth ages 12–18 with a deep, holistic model of mentoring, college access, mental health, and cultural leadership.

We’re not funded by billion-dollar endowments. We’re funded by real people like you who believe in investing in us, for us. Because if we don’t show up for our Young Blues, who will?

With 100% of our seniors graduating and going to college or career pathways, this work is changing lives — and it’s just getting started.

💡 Why Blue Heart Exists

Let’s be honest... our community has been underfunded, over-policed, and underserved for generations. We don’t need another band-aid. We need real tools, real healing, and real systems that are for us, by us.

That’s why we built Blue Heart.

We’re here to:

Break cycles of generational trauma
Increase college access and career pathways
Provide safe spaces for mental and emotional development
Build confidence, clarity, and leadership in our young men
Equip them to not just survive, but thrive

And it’s working. We’ve been doing this work with limited resources since 2013. Now imagine what we could do with a community of consistent backers behind us.

👑 This Is Personal. This Is Critical. This Is Powerful.

Let’s talk facts.

1 in 3 Black males born today will be incarcerated if current trends continue.
85% of youth in juvenile detention grew up without a father present.
71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.
Gang membership among youth has grown from 50,000 in the 70s to over 2 million today.
Black boys are twice as likely to be suspended and far less likely to be identified as gifted.
Suicide rates among Black youth have doubled in the last 20 years!!!

Now tell us again why we’re supposed to wait on the system to care???

We see it every day — brilliant, beautiful young men who are targeted, tracked, and traumatized before they even hit high school. Boys told to be hard, not healed. Ignored in classrooms. Profiled in public. Written off before they’re even given a real chance.

That’s why we built Blue Heart.

This isn’t charity work. This is protection. This is prevention. This is a spirit-led strategy to disrupt cycles that were never meant for us to win.

We create a space where our Young Blues can:

Be mentored and seen
Build real emotional and mental resilience
Explore college and career options early
Develop pride in who they are and where they come from
Learn how to lead, not follow the trap

📊 Our Impact: Real Results. Real Relationships.

At Blue Heart, we measure success by more than just GPAs — we measure growth, healing, and human connection.

🎓 100% of our seniors graduate high school
🏫 100% are accepted into college, trade school, or career programs
💵 $12,500 in scholarships awarded
👑 10 Young Blues enrolled at Morehouse College- 5 graduated Morehouse Men!
🔁 5,000+ hours of community service completed
💬 In an age where many teens feel disconnected and isolated, our Young Blues are building real friendships — not just followers.

📱 National reports show that screen addiction, anxiety, and loneliness are on the rise in Gen Z — but at Blue Heart, our youth are off their phones, looking each other in the eye, and building brotherhood through face-to-face connection, group mentoring, and cultural bonding.

We’re not just fighting to get our boys into college, we’re fighting for their sense of self, their emotional wellness, and their ability to connect with the world around them.

“Within my experience with The Blue Heart Foundation the program helped shape my confidence. Starting out in the program I was extremely soft spoken but was always curious in taking the leadership role for my peers. Blue Heart allowed me to grow at my pace and learn public speaking skills along with grit, patience, and being genuine. I wouldn’t be where I’m at in life without this program and the constant support I received going through high school.”
— Amir Duke, Blue Heart Alum & Morehouse Grad

“Blue Heart helped me in many ways, such as brotherhood, leadership, public speaking, and the love for community service. Also the workshops I used to attend granted me great connections with successful black men in various professions.”
— Ezekiel Rabb, Blue Heart Alum & Morehouse Grad

🛠️ How Your Donation Moves the Mission

Your dollars go directly into programs that change lives:

Mentorship & Mental Health
Weekly check-ins, licensed therapy, peer support, discussion circles, and our Mindful Heart curriculum — because healing is non-negotiable.
College & Career Coaching
Workshops, campus tours, scholarship help, HBCU trips, and one-on-one guidance that makes college not just a dream, but a plan.
Leadership, STEM & Entrepreneurship Training
Programs that teach our Young Blues how to build, lead, innovate, and own their future.
Cultural Connection & Community
Step programs, affirmations, brotherhood circles, Black studies — spaces where our young men see themselves reflected, respected, and raised up.

🙌🏽 Make Your Gift Today

[ Give Once ] — Every bit helps
[ Join The Village Circle – Monthly Giving ] — Sustain the mission
[ Sponsor a Young Blue ] — $1,200 covers a year of college coaching, wellness, and leadership programming

College Changes Communities. Your Support Changes Lives.

By The Blue Heart Foundation

College Changes Communities. Your Support Changes Lives.

We’re not waiting for broken systems to fix themselves. We’re building the village our Young Blues deserve — and your donation makes it possible.

Team Members