African Career Education and Resources is a left-of-center, critical race theory-aligned civic and advocacy organization focused on providing assistance with housing, employment, business operations, and voter registration to members of racial minority groups, particularly Black Americans, in the northwestern suburbs of the Twin Cities of Minnesota. ^{1 2} The organization also assists with the hosting of candidate forums with aligned groups including the League of Women Voters. ³

Background

African Career Education and Resources was founded in 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, initially with a focus on connecting immigrants from Africa to employment opportunities in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, particularly their northwestern suburbs: Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Maple Grove, Crystal, Robbinsdale, and New Hope. In November 2019, the organization was registered as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an address in Minneapolis. ^{1 2}

As of 2024, the organization notes on its website that since its founding, it has enlarged its focus to include people of African heritage and other minority racial groups. Aside from employment programming, the organization also runs programs related to housing, community development, healthcare, and voter engagement. ¹

On its website, the organization espouses a critical race theory-aligned perspective, describing itself as operating with a “race equity lens,” and claiming that people of African heritage face systemic barriers in the communities in which the organization is active. ¹

Activity

African Career Education and Resources has four programs: “Housing Justice,” which organizes renters and tenants to make demands of property owners and engages in aligned policy advocacy; “Health Equity,” which supports initiatives that intend to improve the coordination, resources, and education of public health organizations and stakeholders; “Voter and Civic Engagement,” which registers voters in the organization’s focus-area and provides educational materials and programming about policy issues; and “Economic and Community Development,” which connects local businesses with resources, provides free technical assistance, consultations, and training, and distributes micro-grant funding and scholarships. ^{4 5 3 6 7}

Politics

African Career, Education and Resources regularly co-hosts or collaborates with organizations and initiatives involved in political activity in Minnesota. For instance, the organization worked in partnership with the Blue Line Coalition to encourage public participation in an expansion of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro Blue Line in the area in which the organization is active, and assisted with the planning and organization of political candidate forums hosted by the League of Women Voters and Jewish Community Action. ³

Leadership

Nelima Sitati Munene is the executive director of African Career Education Resources as well as a member of the Minneapolis Metropolitan Council’s Equity Advisory Committee. Formerly, she was a Humphrey Public Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Met Council’s Housing Policy and Planning Work Group. ^{8 9}

Denise Butler is the associate director of African Career Education Resources. Formerly, Butler was a member of the City of Minneapolis’s Charter Commission, and the boards of directors of the New Connect Program and Blue Line Coalition. ^{10 9}

Beatrice Adenodi is the interim director of economic and community development for African Career Education Resources’ Business Opportunity Hub as well as the head of Mirror Ink 360, a business consulting firm. ^{9 11}

Aiysha Mustapha is the chair of African Career Education Resource’s board of directors as well as a school climate and culture specialist with the Robbinsdale School District of Minnesota. ¹²

1. “About Us.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/about
2. “African Career Education & Resources.” ProPublica. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/471207676
3. “Voter and Civic Engagement.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024.
4. “Economic and Community Development.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/economic-development
5. “Health Equity.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/health-equity
6. “Housing Justice.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/housing-justice
7. “Our Programs.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/programs.
8. “Nelima Sitati Munene.” University of Minnesota. Center for Urban and Regional Professionals. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://cura50.umn.edu/nelima-sitati-munene
9. “Our Team.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/our-team
10. Jossi, Frank. “Top Women in Finance 2022: Denise Butler.” Finance & Commerce. November 11, 2022. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://finance-commerce.com/2022/11/top-women-in-finance-2022-denise-butler/
11. “About Us.” Mirror Ink 360. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.mirrorink360.com/about-us/about-us
12. “ACER Board.” African Career Education and Resources. Accessed August 5, 2024. https://www.acerinc.org/board