African American Leadership Roundtable started in Naperville in 2000

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Bette Lawrence-Water, shown with children in the DAAWN program, is part of the African American Leadership roundtable. | Submitted

Updated: March 23, 2012 8:08AM

As we celebrate Black History Month, many may not know that Naperville is the birthplace to an organization whose mission is to enhance the overall well being of African-Americans. The work the African American Leadership Roundtable accomplishes in our community does not take place just in February but is a year-round effort.

“We have several ongoing initiatives,” said Bette Lawrence-Water, AALR president, “(to) eliminate health disparities, improve academic performance and (assist in) job and economic empowerment.”

According to Lawrence-Water, AALR was started in Naperville in 2000 by a group of black ministers in DuPage County who felt, with census data indicating that African-Americans had been rapidly moving to the area, there needed to be some way to connect them and promote and sustain the common good. One way they accomplish this goal is to hold monthly sessions that feature speakers and topics of interest to the African-American community. Some of the topics have included HIV/AIDS awareness, finance, workplace conflict, employment interviews, social media and how to become a foster parent.

Partnering with others

During the years, the group, which has 200 “groupies,” of which about 50 are paid members, also has collaborated with government, educators and other organizations to promote their mission. In 2010, AALR partnered with the city of Naperville and North Central College to bring the first African-American Heritage Festival to Naperville. The two-day event featured an exhibition of art, classes, speakers, dance instruction, and choir and gospel music.

Last year the organization, of which about half the membership is from Naperville, also collaborated with College of DuPage, sororities, the DuPage County Health Department and the American Association of Retired Persons to present “Messages of Hope.” The program took place for a standing-room-only crowd so that participants could receive information about early detection, prevention methods and the latest resources available to enhance a woman’s chances of breast cancer survival. The event was in response to the fact that, although fewer African-American women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, when they are diagnosed, they are statistically twice as likely to die compared to Caucasian women.

Academic programs

Because of these types of collaborations, AALR has established itself as a go-to organization to assist the African-American population in DuPage County. As such, about a year ago, Dr. Darlene Ruscetti, regional superintendent for the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, contacted the group with concerns about the academic performance of African-American children in DuPage County schools.

“Test scores were lacking,” Lawrence-Water said. “They were falling below state average even though we are living in a more affluent area.”

Working with the DuPage County ROE, the AALR formed the DuPage Academic Achievement and Wisdom Network, a tutoring and mentoring program for third- and fourth-graders in DuPage County schools. Since the launch of DAAWN, AALR has worked with Darien School District 61 students by providing free reading and math tutoring sessions. For the program, AALR joined with Bridge Communities and St. John Lutheran Church of Darien , which provide a place to meet, food, books and financial support, while members of AALR donate an hour of their time each week to provide the free tutoring.

“We are using it as a model to hopefully replicate in other districts in DuPage County,” Lawrence-Water said.

Rewarding members

And the rewards of giving back do not only benefit the students, as AALR member Amania Drane can attest. She became involved with the group to make a positive impact on the community, but continues with the organization because of what she gets back.

“I never dreamed I’d tutor kids and certainly could not have imagined that I would love it so much,” Drane said.

And, while the name implies that only African-Americans are a part of the organization, Lawrence-Water stresses the group is open to all ethnicities.

“As the demographic changes and we build community,” Lawrence-Waters said, “everyone is connected somehow to the African American Leadership Roundtable.”