Dear Mayors,

I am honored for the opportunity to represent you and the unique needs and interests of our communities, big and small, to the White House, Congress, in Statehouses, and elsewhere over the next year as your 2024-2025 AAMA President.

As mayors, we have two basic goals: to create the best possible environment for our communities to grow and to protect our citizens. However, collectively, we can do so much more. AAMA is the nation’s only organization dedicated exclusively to supporting and advocating for the needs of Black mayors and Black-led cities. Over the last ten years, AAMA has been a beacon of leadership and progress, initiating policies that have uplifted our citizens and created platforms for our voices to be heard nationally. We stand on the shoulders of great men and women such as Maynard Jackson, Richard Arrington, Carl Stokes, and many other trailblazers. It is upon the enduring legacy of those who came before us that we build our future efforts by continuing to champion the voices and aspirations of those we serve.

Let’s remember what our communities have called us to do. Our cities have to be strong, but they can only be strong if we are strong. They can only be resilient if we’re resilient. They can only be prosperous if we’re prosperous. They can only think of conquering the impossible if we’re taking care of what’s possible. AAMA is part of that solution.

Over the next year, we will work tirelessly to improve public safety outcomes, reskill workers, build capital and capacity for minority-owned businesses, increase collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, and build support for equitable infrastructure investments and sustainable city initiatives. Still, it is not enough to have the right ideas; we must also have the courage to see them through. But with all of the talent, technology, and capability AAMA collectively has, who are we not to meet this moment?

In this pursuit, your courage will be our strength. If you stand up and do what’s right, we will have your back wherever you are. Let us be the leaders who did not just dream of a better future but the leaders who worked tirelessly to create it. Let’s leave a legacy of action and achievement that future generations will honor and continue. Together, let’s shape a tomorrow as bright and as just as the ideals we cherish.

Thank you for this opportunity and challenge. I look forward to serving you for the next year.

Sincerely,

Steven L. Reed