about us

The National African American Literacy Institute co-founders, board members, officers and volunteers are experienced subject matter experts in the fields of education, healthcare, social justice and entrepreneurship.   It is our goal to eliminate biases and reform communities with high inequalities in education, economics, and health.  With more than 90 years of combined experience implementing innovative solutions to challenging problems, resulting in increased grade level literacy attainment, higher graduation rates, decreased dropout rates and decreased community violence in “underserved communities” within a two-years - the Institute delivers cutting edge solutions. 

It took the most disruptive pandemic in the past 100 years to highlight the disparities and inflexibility in education whether traditional school systems, workforce development organizations or blended learning environments.  COVID-19 forced its way into our global community.  It has disrupted world economy, our healthcare systems and is wreaking havoc to our educational systems, leaving our children without an education experience, without vision, without hope and no exposure.  Districts and schools are lost at what to do.  In addition, the judicial system is releasing alleged criminals into communities, of whom should not have been arrested in the first place.

We have been on the frontlines and received unfair treatments as educators and business owners and understand the population being serve.  We are problem-solvers.

We dedicate our continued work to Dr. Yusef Harris, founder and owner of one the oldest Black Book Stores in the Country -  Alkebu-Lan Images Bookstore.  Yusef work is centered on teaching literacy by providing books in an effort to bring about an exchange of knowledge for a better humanity.  Yusef served the community that has the highest "School to Prison" pipeline and incarceration rates for nearly 40 years and is the founder of the NAAL Institute.

The National African American Literacy Institute (NAAL) a 501(c)(3) headquartered in Nashville, TN. The Institute has a 4-phase process and has sought out the most innovation and solutions-oriented partners to solve some of the challenging educational and workforce issues in our world.  We believe firm educational foundations will eliminate pandemic disparities.

We are a service organization  working to eliminate the disparities for vulnerable individuals and communities.  We know that these include healthcare, education and economics - with the center focus being literacy.  Prior to the pandemic, our individual work included a focus on the "School-to-Prison Pipeline", graduation rates for blacks, healthcare disparties, literacy "Lexile" rates and entrepreneurship.  

The NAAL Institute provides “HUB” researched based, results driven products and services that bridge the learning gap for underserved children. The Institute also uses athletes and entertainers who have parlayed their successes into savvy business investments or to own businesses supporting underserved children. Our program pillars, we have a web-based business capital and education platform created to foster the engagement of minority, women and veteran owned enterprises, government businesses and the LGBTQ community.