The Association of Black Anthropologists was founded in 1970 by a small group of intellectuals who sought to break down barriers that impeded their full participation in the discipline of Anthropology. By creating scholarship that linked anthropological theory to struggles for social justice, these elders transformed anthropology and helped create generations of intellectual leaders. Since its beginnings, first as the Minority Caucus, and later as the Caucus of Black Anthropologists and the Association of Third World Anthropologists, ABA has sought to ensure, and has challenged the discipline and all other sections to act upon the understanding that the people with whom anthropologists work are not objects of study but active makers and/or participants in their own history. In a larger sense, we highlight situations of exploitation, oppression and discrimination. Further it is and has been our objective to analyze and critique social science theories that misrepresent the reality of exploited groups while at the same time constructing more adequate theories to interpret the dynamics of oppression. For the past fifty years, we have been committed to the participation of students of anthropology, recruiting Black graduate and undergraduate students, enrolling them into the ABA and mentoring students involved in ABA. We have been active participants in the direction and leadership of the AAA and other sections, and contributed scholarly insights through our flagship journal Transforming Anthropology, as well as serving as the editors, contributing editors, and reviewers for many other journals within anthropology and the social sciences. We have produced award winning books, held top positions at universities, foundations, and nonprofits. We have impacted policy and been at the forefront of some of the most important public facing scholarship of our time. Using this session to hear from our leaders both past and present, we take this opportunity to think on and reflect upon our impact up to and through now and to set our vision and charge for the future.