African American Community Health Board

The African American Health Board (AAHB) was formed with a mission to advocate for and empower the African American community in King County, WA to assure health equity by impacting policy and systems change, and to demand institutional accountability. It is one of several racial/ethnic specific community health boards which are all part of the Community Health Board Coalition.

The AAHB was funded by a Communities of Opportunity (COO) Grant. COO, a public-private partnership between King County and Seattle Foundation, believes the most meaningful, just, and sustainable solutions are generated in partnership with communities -- who know what they need to be healthy and thrive.

The AAHB inaugural Board Members identified three initial focal areas: healthcare quality/access, workforce development, and mental health. To determine whether the initial focal areas accurately reflected the priorities of King County’s African American community,

they strategically planned to gather community feedback and input on their future directions at the inaugural AAHB retreat. The inaugural retreat would be the first public AAHB event open to the community. The AAHB selected Dr. Tracy Hilliard, Principal of TMH Strategies, and Nathan Brown, independent consultant, to provide consultation and support for planning and facilitation of the event.

African American Health Board Inaugural Retreat Summary focal areas and future directions were generated by the inaugural AAHB leadership and community members through a collaborative process. Dr. Hilliard then synthesized the information and provided recommendations and considerations for the AAHB’s next steps.