Community Leaders unite as Collective Voice of Change at AALI Summit 

By Sylvia Powers 
Correspondent

State Senator Royce West emphasized accountability, resilience, and coalition-building during the African American Leadership Institute’s (AALI) 9th Annual Fall Policy Summit, held at Paul Quinn College and themed, “The People’s Power: Collective Action for Change.”

“I’m responsible for this community because most of the people that are in attendance are my constituents,” Senator West said. “We’ve invited leaders from economic development, education, government, and human services to sit down, talk about the issues, answer questions from the community, and hopefully address them in a timely manner.”

Senator West noted that the summit has grown stronger each year since its launch nine years ago. Reflecting on the most recent legislative session, he acknowledged challenges but urged participants to remain steadfast. 

“We didn’t have a bunch of wins,” he said. “In fact, we had some losses. But we have the resilience to bounce back, to continue fighting, and to come up with a plan.”

That plan, he suggested, includes building broad coalitions across ethnic groups who share common interests. 

“We must maintain our seat at the table,” Senator West said. “But we also need people who can work together to get things done for our community and other communities of color.”