Anjanette Young
Community Organizer
South Side
Anjanette Young, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, advocate, and author whose work is rooted in a lifelong commitment to mental health, trauma recovery, civil rights, and justice. Bringing together decades of clinical expertise and lived experience, she has become a leading voice on healing, resilience, and police accountability.
In February 2019, Anjanette endured a life-altering traumatic experience when Chicago police officers wrongfully raided her home while she was preparing for bed. The highly publicized incident, which occurred while she was naked and unarmed, became a catalyst for national conversations about policing, racial justice, and the disproportionate impact of systemic failures on Black women. Rather than allowing trauma to define her, Anjanette transformed her experience into a platform for advocacy, legislative reform, and healing.
Her commitment to justice is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Raised in rural Mississippi by her grandmother, a civil rights activist who marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Anjanette inherited a legacy of courage, resilience, faith, and service that continues to shape her work today.
Today, Anjanette is recognized as one of the nation's leading advocates at the intersection of trauma, mental health, and justice reform. She has been featured and interviewed by prominent national media outlets, including CBS News, ABC News, USA Today, and has appeared on programs hosted by Gayle King, Soledad O'Brien, and Joy Reid, where she has shared her personal story and advocated for meaningful police accountability and trauma-informed public policy.
Beyond public advocacy, Anjanette actively contributes to national civil rights litigation and constitutional reform. She works alongside the Institute for Justice in Washington, D.C., supporting litigation efforts involving constitutional rights and police accountability. Her work includes contributing to amicus briefs submitted in significant federal court cases, including matters before the United States Supreme Court, helping amplify the real-world impact of unconstitutional policing practices on individuals and communities.
As a practicing therapist and founder of Cafe Social Work Consulting, LLC, Anjanette provides clinical services, professional supervision, leadership development, and trauma-informed training to behavioral health professionals, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. Her work emphasizes resilience, ethical leadership, trauma-informed care, and the importance of creating systems that promote healing rather than harm.
Committed to expanding access to mental health care, Anjanette founded the I AM HER Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Black women and girls through mental health support, leadership development, mentorship, and advocacy. The foundation helps reduce barriers to therapy by providing financial assistance while creating spaces that foster healing, confidence, and long-term wellness.
Anjanette is also the author of Past the Pain, a powerful memoir that chronicles her journey from surviving a traumatic police raid to discovering purpose through healing, faith, and advocacy. In the book, she candidly shares not only the events surrounding the raid and its aftermath but also practical lessons for anyone navigating trauma, loss, or adversity. Drawing strength from her faith, community, and her family's civil rights legacy, Anjanette demonstrates that trauma does not have to define a person's future—it can become the foundation for resilience, transformation, and meaningful change.
Whether speaking from a conference stage, training professionals, advocating in legislative spaces, supporting constitutional litigation, or counseling clients, Anjanette remains committed to advancing a society where justice, healing, equity, and human dignity are accessible to all. Through every aspect of her work, she continues to inspire individuals and organizations to move beyond pain, embrace purpose, and create lasting change.
