African American Leadership Forum

The African American Leadership Forum is a think-and-do tank accelerating community-informed and -driven solutions to combat anti-Black racism and address systemic inequities in all forms. The organization draws inspiration from Afrofuturist ideas and practices-which envision a future for Black communities that is inclusive, equitable, and just, and is dedicated to combining the principles of Afrofuturism with activism, community-building, and innovative problem-solving to achieve racial equity. Data, Research, & Policy: At the African American Leadership Forum, the focus of our Data, Research, and Policy work is to create Black-centered public policy and opinion research products to inform systems change efforts and influence policy shifts. We have made strides in achieving these ends through the publishing of market and opinion research pieces, large bodies of predictive analytics, and narrative analysis that speak to the experience of Black Minnesotans. In 2023, our research efforts surveyed 400 Black unique households in urban, suburban, and rural areas. With the addition of Data Science, we have produced four advocacy editions this year with a subscriber volume of 2,500+. Through dissemination of these actionable insights and resources, we aim to equip and empower communities to engage in Black-centered advocacy and community-driven solutions. In doing so, we are building and sustaining relationships with allies and policymakers to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and further advance a Black Agenda for Change. Notably, in our efforts to secure political commitments to the seeds of the Black Agenda for Change, we have engaged over 60+ leaders and community members. In this pursuit, we provided 11 testimonies, participated in 2 press conferences on legislation, and met with 34 elected and government officials, both during and after the legislative session (Q1-Q3).

Leadership Development: Our Leadership Development work is focused on cultivating a pipeline of Black leaders ready to mobilize and lead social movements in Black communities across Minnesota. The Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy (JRJLA) is a six-month leadership development cohort experience designed to meet the cultural, personal, and professional development needs of African American leaders, known as fellows, who share a lifelong commitment to improving outcomes in the Black community. In 2023, we surpassed a 80% approval rating among participants affirming that they have acquired and effectively applied new knowledge, skills, or competencies. JRJLA leverages the success and influence of established African American leaders, referred to as Torchbearers, dedicated to mentoring, advocating, and championing other leaders. With individualized professional coaching and connection to these leaders, the JRJLA fellows actively engage in experiential learning sessions to deepen their understanding of our framework around Leadership, Sankofa, Community, and Thriving. Through this programming, participants are equipped with relationships, soft and hard skills to further the mission of fostering vibrant local, regional, and statewide communities that center the Black experience in systems change efforts.

Design & Innovation: Our work in Design and Innovation is focused on the key outcomes of equipping our partners and community, both in established and emerging sectors, with the information necessary to design and test innovative and sustainable solutions to systemic inequities plaguing the Black community in Minnesota. Through workshops, convenings, and listening sessions, we are continuously ideating and prototyping new ways of outreach and educational programming within the community. We have engaged over 600+ community members in 2023 through convenings, conferences, and design sessions, fostering cross-sector awareness. In the pursuit of providing access to as many community members as possible, our inaugural event Dark Matter convened 221 community attendees, we conducted 180 empathy interviews, and brought together 200 young people to discuss realities and necessary transformation needed in Black education. 100% of attendees found the event to be 100% accessible and 100% applicable to their own work and experience. We have also released four major reports, based on research surveying 400 Black households, focused on education, generational wealth building, and economic prosperity. Additionally, we conducted a series of design sessions in partnership with U.S. Bank that interviewed over 80+ community members on their vital needs and barriers to building generational wealth.