Our coalition formed in the early 2000s to address gaps in culturally-relevant resources and information about substance use, misuse, and abuse. At a time where substance use and addiction were mischaracterized as a criminal justice problem, our coalition was formed to provide targeted supports to South Los Angeles’ largely Black and Brown communities. Through this coalition, we helped to appropriately use evidence-based practices in public health to address mounting concerns, resulting in the reimagination of prevention efforts within our communities. Today, it exists to create an ecosystem of response-ready providers interested in curbing access to substances, and examining the role of mental health, poverty, land use and incarceration in substance misuse and addiction within Service Planning Area (SPA) 6.