FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
AALF Welcomes 2020 Cohort for Collective Impact Workstreams to Bring Positive Change to Minnesota’s African American Community
Making a Difference in the Lives of African Americans
MINNEAPOLIS, June 4, 2020 — the African American Leadership Forum (AALF), an organization of over 1,500 leaders, is excited to announce our 2020 cohort for Collective Impact Workstreams. AALF’s collective impact work brings together African American leaders working in fields across industry and the Twin Cities to use a Human-Centered Design and Black-Centered Design process to identify the most pressing challenges facing the Black community around Education, Health & Wellness, Economic Development, and Family Culture. After the problems are identified, community engagement projects are developed that help to facilitate change in these areas.
Our Task Force and Workstreams are about Black people coming together to solve the problems that the Black community is facing. Now, more than ever, we need Black leaders, changemakers, and activists to use their talents to make a difference in the lives of African Americans. Selected by the Forum staff and Task Force Members, Workstream Committees meet for a 6-month volunteer work detail. The objective of the Work Streams is to drive the Collective Impact Plan within Leadership, Resources, Policy and Culture to make a difference in the Black community. Each focus area has a Problem Statement and SMART Goal identified. Workstream Members will work with Task Force members to build solutions to the challenges that face the African American community.
This year’s cohort includes dynamic African American changemakers from across Minnesota:
- Economic Development: Debonaire McNeal, Erin Horne McKinney, Funlola Otukoya, Ismael Thiam Dore, Janis Lane-Ewart, Kenneth Delancy, Marvin Smith, Tatiana Freeman, Tyler Heaggans, Uzodima Frank Aba-Onu, and Alison Ford.
- Education: Rekhet Si-Asar, Angela Mansfiled, Fatima Muhammad, Shevvi Crowley, Larry McKenzie, Lilian Ejebe, Manu Lewis, Stephen Shepherd, Shanaya Dungey, Aiysha Mustapha, Joshua Crosson, and Regina Seabrook.
- Family & Culture: James Holmes Jr., Kaade Wallace, Kimberly Renee Anderson, Kowanna Powell Anderson, Markeanna, and Andre D. Dukes.
- Health & Wellness: Chaz Sandifer, Dr. Antonia Apolinario Wilcoxon, Ed.D., Jacquelyn Thomas, Kecia Hayslett, Latichia Diane Harper (Tish Harp), Shanasha Whitson, Suzanne Lehman, and Whitney Tay..
The African American Leadership Forum mobilizes and activates dynamic groups of committed and passionate African Americans to influence the social, economic, and political landscape that impacts our daily lives.