African American Leadership Forum
Report date
July 2022
What has been most instrumental to your progress?
We began the year 2020 with plans to create a Buy the Block Fund. Our goal for this work
was to “make African American economic development central to the Twin Cities agenda
and facilitate a local paradigm shift.' We participated in the Boston Impact Initiative, met
other market leaders, shared strategies, created a Collective Impact work stream and a
pitch deck. At the time, we believed AALF would be the one managing this fund. All of
these steps were extremely valuable in making progress toward building a break-through
Self-Determination model of wealth creation for African Americans in the Twin Cities that
grows exponentially, and results in improved financial literacy, increased homeownership,
and vibrant community and business development. These activities laid the groundwork for further community-led innovation by helping AALF develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills to respond quickly and effectively to the devastating crises of 2020.
At the beginning of 2020, we believed AALF would be the one managing the Buy the Block fund. Then COVID-19 hit in spring and George Floyd was murdered in the summer. These crises thrust AALF into the role of intermediary as our
was to “make African American economic development central to the Twin Cities agenda
and facilitate a local paradigm shift.' We participated in the Boston Impact Initiative, met
other market leaders, shared strategies, created a Collective Impact work stream and a
pitch deck. At the time, we believed AALF would be the one managing this fund. All of
these steps were extremely valuable in making progress toward building a break-through
Self-Determination model of wealth creation for African Americans in the Twin Cities that
grows exponentially, and results in improved financial literacy, increased homeownership,
and vibrant community and business development. These activities laid the groundwork for further community-led innovation by helping AALF develop the knowledge, confidence, and skills to respond quickly and effectively to the devastating crises of 2020.
At the beginning of 2020, we believed AALF would be the one managing the Buy the Block fund. Then COVID-19 hit in spring and George Floyd was murdered in the summer. These crises thrust AALF into the role of intermediary as our
Key lessons learned
The key lesson we learned was a clarification of AALF's role in the community as an intermediary and facilitator of resources and collaborations to address racial inequities in the Twin Cities region in a new and transformational way. Once we embraced this role, we were able to more fully realize our vision of a holistic, innovative community-led solution to closing the racial equity gap in Minnesota. Our Buy the Block work was absorbed into a new, more comprehensive solution: UBB. United by Black, Powered by All uses the Black-Centered Design approach developed by AALF, which ensures that solutions for the Black community are created by the Black community. This approach stands in stark contrast to previous efforts to close Minnesota's deep and wide racial equity gap — efforts that have failed largely because they did not center Black perspectives and experience. UBB’s approach also stands apart from previous efforts in its comprehensiveness.
Nothing about 2020 went as planned, but we do not see that as a failure. The seeds of our UBB initiative were planted in July 2020 when leaders met to co-create a vision for what a more equitable region would look like in 2030. These leade
Nothing about 2020 went as planned, but we do not see that as a failure. The seeds of our UBB initiative were planted in July 2020 when leaders met to co-create a vision for what a more equitable region would look like in 2030. These leade
Reflections on the community innovation process
All three elements have been crucial to making progress, but as a network organization, we believe being collaborative is the most important. Our collaboration with the Boston Impact Initiative gave us a deep understanding of possible ways to address the racial wealth gap in Minnesota. Our collaboration with the Black Business Support Collective (BBSC) helped us understand the urgent needs of our community and the community-led organizations responding to those needs so we could support them. Our collaborations with Black professional fraternity Omicron Boule, the Itasca Project, GREATER MSP, Minnesota Business Partnership (MBP), and the Minnesota Business Coalition for Racial Equity (MBCRE) allowed us to create United by Black, Powered by All to generate and implement solutions to advance equitable outcomes for Black Minnesotans, and to shift our region from a focus on managing disparities to investing in equity as a strategy to drive growth and innovation over the next 10 years.
Progress toward an innovation
One of the challenges we grappled with was the overall need for investment. Eventually, we made a breakthrough realization that the gaps that needed to be filled were bigger than what we could accomplish with a Buy the Block type of investment fund. While an investment fund certainly would have a positive impact, to truly achieve the change we are seeking we needed to change the ecosystem. Rather than manage a fund, AALF needed to identify the need, determine how best to get resources to the community, and prepare leaders for this work. Our work confirmed our approach to community-led solutions and opened our eyes to the enormity of what we want to do. We are now focused on identifying who is in the ecosystem, getting money into the ecosystem, and preparing and supporting leaders who are accustomed to operating in scarcity to abundance with resources and technical assistance so that by working together we can accelerate change over the next 10 years, thereby changing the trajectory of our community for decades to come.
What it will take to reach an innovation?
As mentioned in question #6, we did make a significant breakthrough in terms of AALF's role in the ecosystem of Twin Cities' organizations, leaders and investors. We became clear on the role that will best support and build a stronger base and foundation to support a long term goal to build wealth equity among the African American communities. We will utilize the social capital that we have build to maintain strong relationships across sectors in order to be an intermediary, accelerator, and network expander for our communities.
What's next?
AALF has made United by Black, Powered by All (UBB) its core strategy across the 6 focus areas in order to address disparities. We will use our Black Centered Design approach to create and test solutions with partners across sectors until we have made in roads to address the racial disparities in the Twin Cities and Minnesota. This work requires ongoing investment from our funding partners as we all know to address social change is a long term effort.
If you could do it all over again...
If we could go back to the start of the grant period, we would give ourselves this advice: 'You don't have to be the one who builds it.' We started from the premise that no one was doing this work, so it was up to AALF to do it. What we have learned is that it is our job to build the frame, to be a catalyst, to facilitate change. Or, to use another metaphor: We are the map-makers. We can identify the need for a road that will make traffic flow better. We can set the parameters — e.g. to be effective, the road should have four-lanes with dividers and exit points at these locations. Once we have mapped the road and set the parameters, we should then identify the right people to build the road and maintain it — those with the know-how, interest and infrastructure to build the road. We can support them in their work, but the work is theirs to do. That said, the knowledge and experience we gained in the first year of this grant has been invaluable, and we are energized by what we have learned and the clarity we have as we continue to implement community-led solutions.
One last thought
N/A