African American Leadership Society | United Way Quad Cities

To grow our region, we must close the expanding racial opportunity gap.

Closing the gap means reducing and ultimately eliminating the disparities and opportunity differentials for human potential and economic contributions by people of color.

United Way’s African American Leadership Society (AALS) seeks to foster the next generation of local Black leaders and give every African American child in every Quad Cities neighborhood an equal opportunity to succeed.

Ready to join and be a part of the solution? Read more about AALS programs and membership benefits.

EDUCATION

11% of BLACK
36% of WHITE

students reading on grade level
by 3rd grade.

INCOME

41% of BLACK
67% of WHITE

households earning a living wage.

HEALTH

73% of BLACK
75% of WHITE

Quad Citizens who report having access to routine health care.

Get Involved

Contribute to AALS and help foster the next generation of African Americans in the Quad Cities.

Donate Now

Help advance community awareness of the disparities in our region’s African American community by participating in public speaking opportunities and advocating on behalf of AALS.

Attend our AALS events and participate in hands-on volunteer activities, including mentoring kids, reading with kids and more. Look for more information coming soon.

Our Initiatives

Community School Partnerships

Girls’ Mentorship Program – Girls on Fire
Preadolescent girls face a variety of problems that drastically differ from their male counterparts. Social media and pop culture are placing more pressure on girls, earlier in their lives, to look and act like adults, creating new levels of anxiety and self-consciousness that, in turn, interfere with the students’ education. The Girl’s Mentorship Program aims to provide a safe space for young girls to convene and discuss the ongoing struggles of being an adolescent in a society saturated by distorted, unrealistic social media standards.

Books & Barbers
When you look good, you feel good.

Sponsored by Quad City Bank & Trust, this program is inspired by old school, barbershop mentorship.

Powered by male barbers and role models in the community, Books & Barbers aims to provide a safe space for young men.

Each month students will receive a no-cost haircut, literacy and hygiene kit and one-on-one time with dedicated volunteers.

TO PARTNER WITH AALS or sponsor one of these programs, contact tlewis@unitedwayqc.org.

Books & Barbers logo

Building Bridges

During this three-month accelerator program, nine local Black nonprofit grassroots leaders participated in networking and professional development sessions. They also met with local experts to learn nonprofit operations principles, understand community dynamics and explore best practices for funding opportunities.

Thank you to our key funding partners: Hubbell-Waterman Foundation, Scott County Regional Authority, Momentum Fund and Hunt & Diane Harris.

Learn More

Inspiring Action: Ty Lewis Scholarship Program

The Ty Lewis Scholarship Program is a 10-month paid internship program that puts students on a fast track to success. The program provides financial support to attend St. Ambrose University, part-time employment during the school year, mentorship and a guaranteed career with Quad City Bank & Trust.

Thank you to Quad City Bank & Trust.

Our Values

AALS helps African Americans create pathways to success by reducing systemic inequities to help explore and establish new opportunities.

Mobilizing people and resources to improve African American lives in our community.

African American Leadership Society members join others in helping build a more vibrant and inclusive Quad Cities. We address needs in the African American community and become part of the solution with an emphasis on education, income, health; with leadership development and diversity, equity and inclusion as enduring core community priorities.