ABOUT US
Our Vision
African Career, Education, and Resources Inc (ACER) envisions powerful, organized communities in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities that ensure people of African heritage can lead thriving and prosperous lives.
Our Mission
ACER engages with and listens to our African communities to identify and take action on the issues that matter to them, working together to secure racial and economic equity in our region and beyond.
Who we are
Put simply: We are a part of the community in which we work. Our leadership, Executive Director Nelima Situate Munene and Associate Director Denise Butler have called the Brooklyns their home for more than 15 years. The majority of our staff and board live in the racially, culturally, and economically diverse communities that make up the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities.
Where We Work
Our target area is the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities — including cities like Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Maple Grove, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and New Hope — but we focus on issues that impact people of African heritage across the region, state and nationally. The northwest suburbs are home to an estimated 45,000 African immigrants, in a state where the African immigrant population has more than doubled since 2000 to more than 90,000. Nearly 37% of Minnesota’s 440,000 Black residents were born outside the United States.
What we do
In 2008, ACER was established to connect African immigrants to employment and other critical resources. Today, our staff of organizers and issue experts works directly with people of African heritage and BIPOC community members to cultivate their leadership and develop innovative and lasting solutions in economic and community development, housing and health equity, and civic and voter engagement.
How we Engage
Because we are community driven, the issues we work on may change — but the way we work does not. We believe that people of African heritage understand complex issues and know their communities best. We elevate the voices of our community members and build bridges between residents and decision-makers so that our knowledge and expertise drives the policies that shape our communities.
Our Values
Racial Equity
In all issue areas, ACER operates from a race equity lens, seeking to remove systemic barriers for people of African heritage and BIPOC communities so they can lead and thrive.
collective prosperity
ACER seeks to create pathways for individual and cooperatives ventures that lead to lasting community wealth for people of African heritage and BIPOC communities.
Cultural relevance
ACER recognizes and honors the unique knowledge, experiences and traditions of the African diaspora and, in its organizing and advocacy, supports and amplifies culturally relevant solutions and models.
Community solutions
ACER believes that people of African heritage know their needs and communities best and builds bridges to decision makers to ensure their expertise informs policies and programs that impact their lives
Leaderful movements
ACER is committed to building collective power through organizing with directly impacted communities to cultivate and uplift their leadership.