Nicole Austin-Hillery on CBCF at 50: Rooted, Ready and Rising

As the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation marks 50 years, President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery reflects on legacy, leadership, artificial intelligence and preparing a new generation to shape what comes next.

As the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary, President and CEO Nicole Austin-Hillery is honoring an extraordinary legacy while keeping her attention firmly on the future.

Founded in 1976, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, or CBCF, emerged at a time when opportunities for young Black leaders to enter the halls of power were limited. The organization’s founders recognized that internships in Washington, D.C., could open doors to professional advancement, yet the young people receiving those opportunities did not necessarily reflect the communities represented by members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

They envisioned something different: a leadership pipeline, a research organization capable of supporting public policy work and a national convener that could bring people together to strategize around the needs of Black and underserved communities.

Fifty years later, Austin-Hillery says the foundation’s longevity carries a message of its own.

“The fact that we are still here after 50 years means a couple things,” she said. “One, it means that we were needed. Two, it means that we are doing something right. And three, it means that the work we are doing is important and can still help move our communities forward.”

Among CBCF’s accomplishments, Austin-Hillery is particularly proud of its investment in future leaders.

Over five decades, the foundation has supported hundreds of young people through internships, fellowships and scholarships. According to Austin-Hillery, CBCF’s internship program continues to place more Black and brown interns on Capitol Hill than any other organization.

The foundation’s leadership pipeline also extends beyond government.

CBCF provides fellowships for established professionals, including attorneys, physicians and Ph.D. holders, while its internship opportunities have expanded into what Austin-Hillery described as the C-suite arena. The goal is to expose emerging leaders not only to public service but also to corporate America, philanthropy, social justice and civil rights.

Austin-Hillery sees tremendous promise in the generation stepping into those spaces now.

“These young people are not waiting for permission,” she said. “They are not waiting their turn.”

Instead, she sees young leaders who recognize that they can contribute now, regardless of where they are in their professional development. They are also more willing to work across traditional boundaries and think broadly about the global Black diaspora.

That mindset reinforces one of Austin-Hillery’s central messages: Leadership is not reserved for those with impressive titles.

“Wherever you sit in life, you have leadership,” she said. “You have standing and you can serve your communities right where you sit.”

Pay no interest until nearly 2028 with some of the best hand-picked credit cards this year. They are perfect for anyone looking to pay down their debt, and not add to it!

Learn How To Apply Now

Leadership development is one pillar of CBCF’s work. Research is another.

Through its Center for Policy Analysis and Research, the foundation examines issues ranging from voting rights and criminal justice to health disparities, education and artificial intelligence.

The objective is to provide communities with reliable information they can use to understand public policy and advocate effectively.

For Austin-Hillery, these issues cannot be separated neatly from one another. Voting rights connect to housing. Housing connects to job creation. Jobs connect to education, health and economic opportunity.

Rather than asking individuals to tackle everything at once, she encourages people to identify one or two issues where their interests, expertise and community needs intersect.

When different people commit themselves to different areas of concern, she explained, communities can address multiple challenges collectively without expecting any individual to carry them all.

Artificial intelligence represents one of the clearest examples of why participation matters.

While public concerns about AI range from job displacement to misinformation and bias, Austin-Hillery believes disengagement is not a viable strategy for Black communities.

“It is vitally important for our communities to not run away from this new technology, but to embrace it,” she said.

Her definition of embracing AI is not blind acceptance. It begins with understanding.

“We have to learn about it,” Austin-Hillery said. “We have to try to understand it, and we have to try to put parameters in place so that we can build a level of trust with this technology.”

That distinction is essential.

Technology increasingly influences the systems people encounter every day. As AI becomes more embedded in business, government and society, communities that do not understand or participate in its development risk having consequential decisions made without their perspectives represented.

Austin-Hillery wants Black experts already working in artificial intelligence to have a meaningful role in determining how the technology develops and affects their communities.

“We should and must be around the table so that we have a voice and we have a say-so in how it is rolled out, how it is utilized, and how it will impact our communities,” she said.

Bias is part of that conversation.

During the interview, Austin-Hillery agreed that communities must participate in addressing biases that may become embedded in technology and in determining how AI systems ultimately show up in people’s lives.

For her, that participation represents power.

CBCF is bringing the conversation directly to its Annual Legislative Conference, with panels focused on artificial intelligence and what the technology means for Black communities.

The goal is not to present AI as perfect. It is to make certain the community is informed enough to help influence what comes next.

“We don’t want to be left behind as this new technology continues to grow,” Austin-Hillery said. “We want to be a part of it, own it, and we want to lean into it.”

For someone attending CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference for the first time, the scale of the gathering can feel both exciting and formidable.

Austin-Hillery’s first recommendation is simple: Start with orientation.

CBCF offers an opening specifically for new attendees on the first day of the conference. The session is designed to help newcomers understand the conference setup, read the schedule, locate the exhibit hall and identify the events and activities included with registration.

It also helps attendees think strategically about how to participate.

With multiple issue forums, policy discussions, exhibits and gatherings occurring throughout the conference, arriving with some understanding of the program can help first-timers make more intentional choices about where to spend their time.

Austin-Hillery also recommends reviewing the conference information on CBCFInc.org before arriving.

But navigating the schedule is only one part of the experience.

The conference is also about connection.

CBCF describes the Annual Legislative Conference as the nation’s largest Black public policy conference, and Austin-Hillery views its convening power as essential. Bringing policymakers, professionals, scholars, advocates and community leaders under one umbrella gives participants an opportunity to exchange information rather than work in isolation.

First-time attendees can also expect something that may not appear in a policy briefing: joy.

Austin-Hillery emphasized that cultural celebration is intentionally part of the conference experience. Gospel Fest, receptions, a new-attendee reception and other gatherings complement the substantive policy programming.

“Joy cannot be put to the side,” she said. “It is a part of our walk. It is a part of our history and it is a part of our resilience.”

For newcomers, that balance offers a useful framework for experiencing the conference: Come prepared to learn, make connections, engage deeply — and leave room to celebrate.

That combination of history, preparation and forward movement is captured in the 50th-anniversary theme, “Rooted, Ready and Rising.”

“Rooted” represents understanding CBCF’s beginnings and the history that brought the community to this moment.

“Ready” speaks to preparation — understanding today’s challenges and equipping people to respond.

“Rising” reflects the resilience Austin-Hillery sees throughout Black history: the ability to confront difficult moments, strategize and continue toward achievements that previous generations might not have imagined.

The theme is not only commemorative. It is a directive.

Optimizing for growth? Go-to-Millions is Ari Murray’s ecommerce newsletter packed with proven tactics, creative that converts, and real operator insights—from product strategy to paid media. No mushy strategy. Just what’s working. Subscribe free for weekly ideas that drive revenue.

Sign up now

Austin-Hillery wants attendees to remember that a five-day conference is not the conclusion of the work.

It is the beginning of what they do with what they learned.

Her charge is for attendees to take information, directives, research and data analysis home to their communities and share them so that the benefits of the gathering extend well beyond those physically in the room.

That expectation brings CBCF’s 50-year legacy full circle.

The foundation was created to build leaders, generate knowledge and convene communities. Its next 50 years will depend in part on people using those resources wherever they have influence — whether in Congress, a corporation, a classroom, a neighborhood organization, an entrepreneurial venture or their own family.

For those ready to move from interest to participation, the next step is clear.

Visit CBCFInc.org to learn more about the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, explore its leadership and policy programs, and find current details on registration, programming and attending the Annual Legislative Conference.

As CBCF enters its next half-century, Austin-Hillery’s message is ultimately one of agency. The opportunity is not simply to observe history being made. It is to understand your place in it — and use whatever leadership you possess to help shape what happens next.