AABCA Mourns the Passing of its President Mr. Makal Ali, Sr.

Lifelong Man of Faith and Champion of Black Economic Inclusion Dies After Lengthy Battle with Cancer

ST. LOUIS-- Mr. Makal Ali, Sr., the co-founder and president of the Advancing American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA) and one of St. Louis’s most relentless voices for Black economic inclusion, died on April 28 at the age of 70 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A devout Muslim whose faith anchored every dimension of his public and private life, Mr. Ali believed that prayer without action was silence and that economic justice was a spiritual obligation. He carried that conviction from the Peabody Projects on the north side of St. Louis to the steps of City Hall and into every boardroom, construction site, and community meeting where Black contractors were being told to wait their turn.

Born in July 19, 1955 in St. Louis, Mr. Ali learned the painting trade directly from his father’s hand, absorbing lessons not only of brush and roller but of dignity and self-reliance. At the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, the family moved to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he attended private schools. A decade later, he returned to St. Louis and began a painting career that would span nearly five decades.

“I have known Makal for more than 40 years, and in all that time I never once saw him compromise his integrity or lose hope that St. Louis could serve as the national model for economic justice for all,” said Dorrie Harris, AABCA board member. “He was the same man in the boardroom that he was on the picket line. Honest, principled, and unwilling to cut corners for anyone. That kind of consistency is rare, and this city was blessed to have it.”

In 2001, Mr. Ali and his brother, Larry Muhammad Ali, co-founded the African American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA) with a clear vision to create structural pathways for minority- and women-owned businesses, contractors, and Black entrepreneurs who were locked out of opportunity. 

In 2025, the organization expanded its scope, changed its name to Advancing American Businesses & Contractors Association, and began working to open chapters across the nation. Under Mr. Ali’s leadership, AABCA became the most vocal and visible organization in Missouri advocating for jobs, contracts, and economic participation for African Americans and other marginalized communities through the perspective of Black contractors and the building trades.

A commercial painter by trade, Mr. Ali led numerous direct-action campaigns, picket lines, public demonstrations, and community outreach initiatives in St. Louis, the county, and across the state. When the deadly May 2025 tornado devastated parts of St. Louis, Mr. Ali was appointed by the mayor to the Demolition & Debris Removal and Rebuilding North St. Louis committees, ensuring Black contractors were included in the billion-dollar recovery. AABCA raised tens of thousands of dollars in supplies, including food, cell phones, and building materials, because Mr. Ali understood that disaster does not suspend injustice. It reveals it.

Mr. Ali played an instrumental role in numerous local development projects, including multimillion-dollar projects for the Element Hotel, Andy Seasoning, Save-A-Lot, and White Castle.  His community outreach extended beyond contracts and concrete. Annual bike giveaways for youth, food drives for families in need, aid to seniors, and mentorship for young men entering the building trades all flowed from his belief that business and humanity were not separate pursuits but the same one.

In recognition of Mr. Ali’s decades of advocacy, in November 2025, the MOKAN Construction & Contractors Assistance Center awarded the civil rights leader its lifetime achievement award. He has been recognized across the country for his leadership, integrity and commitment to the uplift of humanity.

“With Makal’s passing, St. Louis has lost one of the most powerful voices for justice and economic inclusion this city has ever produced,” said Shaun Carr, a longtime ally and AABCA board member. “He loved this city and the people in it. His leadership was fearless and unapologetic. He didn’t just advocate for Black contractors. He built the infrastructure so they could advocate for themselves. That is a legacy no one can take away.”

Mr. Ali leaves to cherish his memory a loving son, daughter-in-law, several grandsons, his father, and two sisters, as well as nieces and nephews, and several other relatives.

Services are pending and will be announced by Mr. Ali’s family.

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About AABCA

The Advancing American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit founded in 2001 and headquartered in St. Louis. AABCA advocates for economic inclusion, fairness, and justice in the construction and trade industries, serving as a bridge between ambition and access for small businesses, contractors, and professional service firms. For more information, visit www.aabcastl.org.