Welcome ACER, the newest Confluence Grantee!

The African Career Education and Recource Center (ACER), an organization focused on addressing racial and economic inequities impacting the large African Diaspora community in the Twin Cities’ northwest suburbs, has joined the Confluence grantee cohort as the recipient of our first ever micro-grant.

With this support, ACER will revive the Northwest Suburbs Community Labor Collective, a table for labor and community groups to explore and align around strategies for building worker power in this diverse and rapidly-growing area of the Twin Cities Metro. In this initial stage ACER will partner with the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, the umbrella organization of Minneapolis area labor unions, to identify and connect with the union locals best-positioned to collaborate with ACER around one or more of ACER’s core program areas: civic engagement, economic development, health equity, and housing justice.

From ACER’s website:

“The Northwest Suburbs are extremely racially, culturally, and economically diverse. Several of these cities are home to majority populations of color. As in many communities of color in the Twin Cities region, African immigrants here face disparities in education, employment, housing, and health that limit their potential. ACER works with residents, local governments, and community partners to eliminate these disparities and ensure that the expertise of African immigrants is valued in the decisions that impact their lives and communities.

“ACER believes African immigrants understand complex issues and know their communities best. We elevate the voices of our community members. We build bridges between residents and decision-makers so that our knowledge and expertise is represented in the policies that shape our communities.”