Our History

The Black Achievers Society of Greater Kansas City was founded in 1974 by former Kansas City Mayor, and now United States Congressman Emanuel Cleaver. At that time, the goal of the organization was to recognize those companies in Business and Industry that demonstrated leadership in the areas of diversity and inclusion through their commitment to a diverse workforce.

A dinner was held in their honor, usually in the spring. In 1989 the award dinner was incorporated into the Martin Luther King Celebration hosted by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Later in 1993, the organization in addition to acknowledging African American Business professionals also began providing scholarships to area youth.

Today, the Black Achievers Society is active in the community as it works to provide annual scholarships to area high school seniors. The Society, in addition to fostering collaboration between high achieving African American business professionals who are invested in our communities, also provides leadership development exposure and scholarships to area youth.

The society meets regularly to support these much-needed efforts in our community and is always looking for additional efforts to support.