The writing workshop Umoja, established by J’Neil Gibson and Frederick Edwards, provides students at South High with a safe space. In this workshop, they explore leadership, culture, unity, and motivation through writing and engaging exercises and performances. Umoja was created for all students. However, the organization was started to focus on addressing educational disparities and the sense of belonging that underrepresented students face. Gibson and Edwards found inspiration to start Umoja in the aftermath of George Floyd killing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They started to notice a stark contrast when it came to addressing the racial climate and injustices in the Fargo- Moorhead community. During that summer, an Instagram account called @RacismInNDSchools emerged, shedding light on the experiences of racism faces by students in North Dakota. Gibson and Edwards, who had worked with Fargo Public Schools for three years, found that the  posts on the Instagram account closely mirrored the experiences that they had heard from students of color.

Their own experiences and values as men of color led them to make a powerful decision. They decided to combat educational disparities and the issues of belonging by creating a Rites of Passage program (Umoja). This program aimed to provide leadership and support to underrepresented students, helping them navigate and excel in the educational system. Moreover, The experiences of Gibson and Edwards greatly influenced how they saw Umoja. Through his work in the community as an educator and poet, Edwards had been battling for students of color and youth in general. He came to the conclusion that education was not just a means of achieving social equality. Pupils, he decided, should be equipped to become complete people, rather than just those heading into college. As a street outreach worker for Youthworks, Gibson saw firsthand the struggles at-risk youth faced and worked to provide opportunities for them. Their program manager, Brandon Baity, who is also involved with Indigenous community programs, played a key role in helping to establish ULE (Umoja Leadership Experience) within Youthworks in Fargo. Today, Umoja is a staple of Fargo South High School.