Engaging diverse perspectives is critical to achieving health equity — meaning that all communities have a fair and just opportunity for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's or another dementia and access to risk reduction, quality care and treatments. The Association continued making strides in FY25 to expand its reach and respond with resources to address the disproportionate impact of Alzheimer's and all other dementia on underrepresented and underserved communities.

The Association and the Philippine Nurses Association of America (PNAA) announced a partnership designed to promote brain health, elevate awareness about Alzheimer's and other dementias, and offer crucial care and support resources to individuals, families and communities in need. PNAA will mobilize at least 12 chapters each year to partner with local Association chapters to engage these communities through a range of education, research and awareness programs.

The Association and the National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH) partnered to promote brain health and increase support for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people living in urban settings affected by Alzheimer's and other dementia. The partnership will raise concern and awareness and provide care, support and information about advance care planning for community members impacted by dementia.

In an ongoing effort to help public health leaders serving AI/AN communities address brain health, the Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the second edition of the Healthy Brain Initiative: Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples. The new Road Map builds on the 2019 version and is aimed at equipping public health professionals working in AI/AN communities with strategies to improve brain health, address dementia and better meet the needs of caregivers.

The Association announced the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map Champions Program. Fifteen public health professionals will receive funding, training and technical assistance to help implement public health strategies for addressing brain health, caregiving and dementia outlined in the Healthy Brain Initiative: Road Map for American Indian and Alaska Native Peoples.

The Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) announced the fourth cohort of the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Strategists, a nationwide effort focusing on addressing dementia at the local level. Ten local health departments are selected each year through a competitive application process to receive direct funding, training and technical assistance; with these resources, the departments establish a part-time Road Map Strategist, a public health professional who serves as a systems change agent working to advance population health approaches related to dementia.

In recognition of Juneteenth, the Association, in partnership with Delta Research and Educational Foundation, hosted the Preserving Memories, Protecting Legacies: Advancing Alzheimer's Awareness and Research in Diverse Communities webinar. More than 500 members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., attended the event.

Through the Black Greek Letter Consortium, the Association is working to improve the state of dementia diagnosis and care for underserved and disproportionately affected communities. In FY25, the Association held an advocacy briefing, United in Service: Advancing Alzheimer's Advocacy, where attendees learned how the Association is shaping public policy and were encouraged to sign up as advocates. More than 75 members of the Black Greek Letter Consortium representing the fraternities and sororities of the Divine Nine participated in the webinar.

In collaboration with the Faith-Based Consortium on Equity in Alzheimer's and Other Dementias: The Kumbuka-Nia Collective, the Association developed and published a Purple Sabbath Toolkit and a Clergy Guide. These resources provide faith leaders with valuable resources to help improve the lives of those facing Alzheimer's and other dementias by educating congregations across all communities and raising awareness of the disease. 

The Association and Gdavis Productions and Films, LLC, continued its "Unforgettable" tour in Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit and Oakland. The Association also created ALZ Health Equity Coalitions to provide leadership in engaging over 4,000 new constituents. These grassroots coalitions comprised national and local partners tasked with building on the momentum created by “Unforgettable" and will work with the Association to ensure greater health equity by improving the state of diagnosis and care for underserved and disproportionately affected communities facing Alzheimer's and other dementia.

The 2025 Black Men's Brain Health (BMBH) Conference marked the fourth installment in an annual series dedicated to addressing disparities in brain health among Black men. With over 1,000 in-person and virtual attendees, the conference is supported by key sponsors including the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institute on Aging and the NFL Alumni Association and focuses on cognitive aging, Alzheimer's and the sociocultural factors that influence brain health by convening leading experts, practitioners and community organizations.

ALZBrainTrust is a collaborative initiative designed to understand and clarify factors that result in racial and ethnic underrepresentation in clinical trials generally and dementia-related clinical trials specifically. In its second year, ALZBrainTrust established three metropolitan hubs in Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago to bring together community engagement researchers and 13 community partners to develop ways to address mistrust, stigma and other concerns surrounding medical research. Solutions will support clinical trial recruitment efforts and provide a replicable model that can be scaled nationwide.