“We are proud of Mayor-elect Johnson’s victory and AAMA plans to stand behind him and give him the support he needs as he works to tackle the most pressing issues of his city,” said Little Rock, Arkansas Mayor and AAMA President Frank Scott, Jr. “We are confident that Mayor-elect Johnson will work diligently to bring the city together during this pivotal time.”

Our Mayors Breaking It Down is available on the following streaming platforms:

(Washington, D.C.) – The African American Mayors Association strongly condemns the unprecedented assault on the democratic order by the Tennessee House of Representatives with the expulsion of two Black state legislators, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, for their calls to address gun violence in the wake of the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. This undemocratic and racially-motivated action by Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly is both chilling and frankly unsurprising. Across the nation, GOP-led state legislatures are targeting duly-elected Black leaders in concerted attempts to dilute and dismiss the will of their constituents and strip their authority.

“The unspoken tax on being a leader and Black is levied once again, this time against two duly-elected state lawmakers, as they fight for the lives of their fellow Tennesseans. From Mississippi to Missouri to North Carolina to Tennessee, we are witnessing state legislatures pass laws meant to undermine the legal and constitutional authority of Black elected officials,” said AAMA President and Little Rock Mayor, Frank Scott, Jr. “We stand firmly with Reps. Jones and Pearson, and demand they be re-seated as well as call for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate possible violations of the Civil Rights Act by the Tennessee General Assembly.”

The U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world, and Black women are disproportionately affected. According to a 2021 study conducted by PRB, Black women are five times more likely to die from pregnancy-related cardiomyopathy and blood pressure disorders than white women. The study also found that late maternal deaths, those occurring between six weeks and one year postpartum, were 3.5 times more likely among Black women than white women.

Apply for federal grant funds. 

The $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program offered by the EPA will provide $1 million grants to Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and other harmful air pollution. Funds can be used to update existing climate, energy, or sustainability plans, or to develop new plans. Larger implementation grants will be awarded on a competitive basis after successful completion of the planning phase and only to cities receiving planning grants. The goal is to develop and deploy new technologies and approaches to reduce GHGs and harmful air pollution and grow the clean energy economy. States and the District of Columbia are eligible for $3 million, and the 67 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas: are eligible for $1 million.

•       April 28 - Deadline for lead organization from MSA to submit notice of intent to participate (NOIP) (for DC this deadline is March 31, 2023). Sample NOIP provided on grant program website, includes just contact info.

•       May 31 - Application/workplan deadline for lead organization from MSA

•       Summer 2023 - Planning grants awarded by EPA

The final application deadline for the 2023 Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) program is Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST. Please direct all questions to AAMA Director of Policy & Programs, Darian Vayson, at [email protected].

Starbucks is excited to share that the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund, a commitment to invest $100 million by 2025 in small businesses and local nonprofits in communities with historically limited access to capital - has allocated $37 million towards that goal, with $21 million in 2022 and $16 million in this latest round.

This program directly impacts communities and to learn more about its importance we’ve featured the story of Dr. Noël Mensah-Bonsu, a local business owner who has benefited from the initiative.

AAMA would like to recognize Terri Broussard Williams and Amazon for their donations to the Arkansas Tornado LIT Disaster Relief.

As of last Sunday, Amazon donated the following to Little Rock:

AAMA recognizes Wells Fargo's donation of $25,000 to the Little Rock Cares Fund to help with recovery efforts following Little Rock's tornado devastation.