On behalf of the African American Leadership Institute (AALI), we are excited to invite you to a special evening of community and networking as we celebrate the graduation of the 2024 Cohort of Fellows and officially kick off the 2025 Cohort Season.

Sponsored by First United Bank 

Join us at First United Bank - Seven Oaks for an evening of live music, hors d'oeuvres, and impactful networking with AALI alumni, allies, and partners!

Please note that RSVP is required for attendance.

Join Our Mission

Our mission is to build a stronger Black Austin community by equipping leaders to live up to their moral responsibility to seek to make life better for everyone in our city, state, and the world.

What Your Support Does

Creates Experiences that unite, delight, and inspire the African American Community in Austin.

Helps us Engage Fellows in class projects focusing on policy/systems change, hands-on community engagement, and AALI program sustainability and expansion

Helps us Generate Data to better understand issues of Black flight and employee retention in Central Texas.

ABOUT AALI

ISSUES

The African American Leadership Institute (AALI) is a program strategically designed to address the following issues that are unique to Austin:

Black flight – per U.S. Census data, the Black population in Austin has declined consistently over the past 45 years, distinguishing Austin is the only large urban city where the Black population is decreasing as the overall population increases.
Employer retention – for years, major Central Texas employers have cited the issue of retention of Black professionals, stating that recruitment is not an issue, yet retaining Black talent continues as an unresolved challenge.
The Black community in Greater Austin has grown increasingly fragmented and distanced due to gentrification and urban sprawl, causing a lack of connectedness, distancing from access to infrastructure and services, and, ultimately, leading members of this community to seek other places to live and thrive, where a Black community presence is more prominent. 
 

These three issues are symbiotic, and AALI addresses all three by creating a hub for connection of Black professionals and leaders – connecting them to each other and the rest of Greater Austin. 

Annual Leadership Cohort

AALI’s annual Leadership Cohort targets established leaders (Fellows) who engage in intensive community building and “deep dives” into multiple issue areas with a lens toward the Black community in Central Texas. Opening and closing sessions focus on community building, reflection, and resolve toward personal action and growth. Eight topical sessions:

• Inform:  Engage subject matter experts to inform fellows regarding key issues and highlight key initiatives to address these issues in Central Texas
• Connect:  Invite groups that are working on the issues to an open networking opportunity embedded into the end of each class session, which can include Black organizations or others that are working to diversify their boards or leadership circles
• Activate:  Create dialogue amongst the fellows to build connections and encourage the next steps toward action in areas of interest.