African American Leadership Forum

TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCES AND LIVES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN MINNESOTA BY BUILDING A NETWORK OF LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONS THAT CONVENES, COLLABORATES, AND CHAMPIONS SOLUTIONS.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT - IN 2021, AALF WAS TAPPED TO BROADEN ITS COLLECTIVE IMPACT EFFORTS. BUSINESS EXECUTIVES, BLACK LEADERS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES ANNOUNCED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ALLIANCE OF ALLIANCES AT THE END OF MARCH. SOME 80 ORGANIZATIONS SIGNED ON. AALF WAS TASKED WITH COORDINATING WORK ACROSS EIGHT AREAS CRITICAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF BLACK COMMUNITIES AND THE ENTIRE REGION. PUBLIC SAFETY, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION, SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, ADVOCACY, HEALTHCARE, AND HOUSING WERE ANNOUNCED AS THE EIGHT CORE FOCUS AREAS THAT WOULD LEAD THE INITIATIVE. THE IMPERATIVE WAS TO IDENTIFY, ADDRESS AND RESOLVE RACIAL INEQUALITY THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE AGENDA THAT WAS BLACK-LED AND DESIGNED. THIS "ALLIANCE" IS A DECADE-LONG HISTORICAL COMMITMENT WITH PROGRESS MEASURED IN MULTIYEAR INCREMENTS. THIS INITIAL PHASE ALLOWED AALF TO SECURE FUNDING TO BUILD OUT INFRASTRUCTURAL CAPACITY IN LEADING THIS MOVEMENT. THE IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM GOAL IS A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL REGION. ENFRANCHISED BY THE NEW DIRECTIVES ACCOMPANIED WITH THE ALLIANCE OF ALLIANCES, 2021 WAS A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT STAFF EXPANSION ALLOWING AALF TO CHANGE THE WAY IT NOW OPERATES. THE ORGANIZATION BOLSTERED ITS RANKS ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE FUNCTIONS OF PROGRAMS, COMMUNICATIONS, MARKETING, ADMINISTRATION, AND FINANCE.

NARRATIVE "BLACK LIFE AMPLIFIED" (BLA) TOWNHALL: SEASON TWO HAVING DEVELOPED A LOYAL FOLLOWING IN 2020, WHILE SERVING AS AN INSTRUMENTAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE PANDEMIC, AALF CONTINUED IN 2021 WITH ITS BI-WEEKLY TOWN HALL FORUM, BLACK LIFE AMPLIFIED. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INSIGHT NEWS, NORTHPOINT HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER, MINNESOTA COMMUNITY CARE, MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN-RECORDER, AND CHILDREN'S MINNESOTA, AALF PRODUCED 50 MORE EPISODES OF BLA IN 2021. A FORMER JOSIE JOHNSON LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FELLOW SERVED AS HOST ALONG WITH AN INFECTION PREVENTIONIST FROM CHILDREN'S MINNESOTA. THE TWO-YEAR RUN OF THIS PROGRAM COULD NOT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE GENEROSITY OF AALF'S SPONSORS, VOLUNTEERS, AND THE TIRELESS WORK OF MANY PEOPLE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE PRODUCTION SIDE. MUCH GRATITUDE AS WELL TO THE HUNDREDS OF GUESTS AND THE INPUT FROM MINNESOTA'S HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY WE RECEIVED. "BLACK LEADERSHIP RE-DEFINED" PODCAST, FINAL SEASON:OVER THE YEARS THE BLACK LEADERSHIP RE-DEFINED PODCAST HAS INTERVIEWED JUST ABOUT ANYONE WHO IS ANYBODY, IN THE SPHERE OF BLACK LEADERSHIP, BUSINESS, FINANCE, HEALTH, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND POLITICS. THE BLACK LEADERSHIP RE-DEFINED PODCAST HELPED AALF ESTABLISH A FOOTHOLD IN ITS CORE AREAS OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT, COLLECTIVE ACTION, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND EMPLOYMENT. THE PODCAST EXPLORED THE REDEFINITION OF LEADERSHIP THROUGH AALF'S FOUR LEADERSHIP PERSONAS; THOUGHT LEADER, BUILDER, INFLUENCER, AND AMBASSADOR. AT THE END OF 2021, BLACK LEADERSHIP RE-DEFINED SIGNED OFF THE AIR AFTER MORE THAN 275 SHOWS TO MAKE ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING. ALL PREVIOUS EPISODES OF BLACK LEADERSHIP RE-DEFINED GOING BACK TO 2019, NEARLY 90 OF THEM, HAVE BEEN CATALOGED AND CAN BE LISTENED TO ON AALF'S WEBSITE.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THREE-DAY VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE EVENT WITH MINNESOTA STILL REELING FROM A TUMULTUOUS 2020, AALF HEARD THE CALL FROM COMMUNITIES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER TO DEVELOP A COLLECTIVE ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES FACING TWIN CITIES AFRICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS. WITH MANY HURTING, UNCERTAIN, AND NEEDING DIRECTION, LEADERSHIP BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY: EXPLORING COLLECTIVISM, INNOVATION, AND ACTIVATION, WAS THE THEME OF THE 3-DAY EVENT. A CONSORTIUM OF BLACK LEADERSHIP THROUGHOUT THE AREA ADDRESSED ATTENDEES ON TOPICS RANGING FROM ADVANCING JUSTICE AND COLLECTIVE BRILLIANCE TO DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN WHILE BROADCASTING THE NARRATIVE. WELL ATTENDED THROUGHOUT, AALF ACQUIRED EVENT SPONSORSHIP FROM TARGET, U.S. BANK, AND 3M. HELD FEBRUARY 25-27, THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE SERVED AS A FITTING WRAP-UP TO BLACK HISTORY MONTH. AALF STAFF MEMBERS, LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FELLOWS, BOARD MEMBERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WERE SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENT. THE ATTENDEES TOTALED 170 PEOPLE FOR THIS EVENT. IN A POST-EVENT SURVEY, REGISTRANTS AWARDED THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AN AVERAGE SCORE RATING OF 8.8 (OUT OF 10). THIS TYPE OF GATHERING IS ALREADY SHAPING UP TO BE A REPEAT EVENT FOR US IN THE FUTURE WITH INTEREST REMAINING HIGH AND PLANS UNDERWAY FOR ANOTHER LEADERSHIP SERIES SOMETIME IN THE NEXT YEAR. THE TITLE OF THE FEBRUARY 2021 EVENT PROVED ONLY FITTING, UNDERSCORING AALF'S FORTITUDE TO CARRY OUT THIS CONFERENCE, "BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY." JOSIE R. JOHNSON LEADERSHIP ACADEMY, JRJLA COHORT #6 THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, MANY TWIN CITIES ORGANIZATIONS FELT THE SQUEEZE TO CANCEL THEIR COHORTS BECAUSE OF THE INABILITY TO DELIVER QUALITY SERVICES WITHIN EXPECTED TIMEFRAMES. THE JOSIE R. JOHNSON LEADERSHIP ACADEMY WAS NOT ONE OF THEM. A DOZEN DISTINGUISHED FELLOWS WHO'VE EMBARKED ON CAREERS THROUGHOUT A DIVERSE SPECTRUM OF PURSUITS COMPLETED THEIR LEADERSHIP JOURNEY WITH GRADUATION FROM THE ACADEMY IN NOVEMBER. FOR AALF, THIS COHORT IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMUNITY. FELLOWS FOR THE ACADEMY ARE CHOSEN FOR ADMISSION AFTER A RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS OF HOW WELL THEY'VE ALREADY EXCELLED AS EMERGING LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE EVALUATION OF AN APPLICANT AS AN "EMERGING LEADER," IS NOT SOLELY BASED ON A PERSON'S AGE. INNOVATION, UNIQUE WAYS OF LEADERSHIP, OR WHETHER A CANDIDATE HAS A NEW IDEA ARE ALSO FACTORS THAT CONSTITUTE WHETHER SOMEONE IS AN EMERGING LEADER. THE ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP HELPS THEM ARTICULATE THEIR PURPOSE AND FELLOWS ARE CHALLENGED TO REACH INSIDE THEIR OWN PERSONA TO ELEVATE THE RUBRIC OF THEIR LEADERSHIP. SINCE 2015, WHEN THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY BEGAN, 110 PEOPLE HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE PROGRAM. ACADEMY ALUMS ARE WORKING TODAY THROUGHOUT THE TWIN CITIES' CORPORATE, PRIVATE, GOVERNMENT, AND NONPROFIT SECTORS. ONE OF THEM EVEN SITS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR AALF TODAY. THIS HANDS-ON PATH TO PERSONAL LEADERSHIP DISCOVERY INVOLVES HUNDREDS OF MOVING PARTS; FACILITATORS, MENTORS, DEVELOPMENTAL TOOLS, AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THEM. EACH YEAR HAS BROUGHT AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE ACADEMY'S CURRICULUM. AS THE PANDEMIC APPEARS TO BE SUBSIDING, THE 2022 JRJLA WILL LIKELY TAKE ON A MORE IN-PERSON APPROACH. THIS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO SUPPORT A NEW ERA IN BLACK LEADERSHIP BY PROVIDING LEADERS WITH ESSENTIAL TOOLS, TRAINING, AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL. THE NAME OF AALF'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IS AN HONOR GIVEN TO THE TRAILBLAZING MINNESOTA CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER AND DISTINGUISHED LEADER, DR. JOSIE ROBINSON JOHNSON. DR. JOHNSON IS 92 YEARS OLD AND LIVES IN ATLANTA. IN OCTOBER 2022, AALF PRESENTED HER WITH THE ORGANIZATION'S FIRST-EVER AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP FORUM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. SHE ACCEPTED THE AWARD IN PERSON DURING A CEREMONY AT AALF HEADQUARTERS.