Al Toney III served as a Police Officer in the Worcester Police Department from March 1987 to April 1995. After the tragic death of his life partner resulting from a shooting in which Al survived but his partner and another friend perished, Al left the police department due to permanent injuries sustained from the shooting. As an openly gay African American male, Al has been the target of homophobia and racism. His work is dedicated to the elimination of these and other forms of discrimination. Since 1993 he has provided diversity and awareness education consulting services and cultural competency workshops throughout the country where he challenges his colleagues and constituents to be aware of their internalized stereotypes and myths.

Undaunted by the shooting which forced him into early retirement, Al harnessed his energy to address the need for diversity training and cultural competency workshops in both the public and private sectors. A sample of his past and present clients include Human Rights Campaign (HRC), The Child Welfare League of America, Casey Family Programs, National Grid, The National Black Justice Coalition, MassEquality, Massachusetts Department of Education, Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS), Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), schools, nonprofit agencies, law enforcement agencies and public and private corporations. Al offers diversity training as a means of creating healthier and more effective learning and working environments. 

Al was recently appointed to Vice-Chair of The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and also serves as a Commissioner with the Massachusetts Legislative Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, he previously was President of The Gay Officers Action League of New England, Commissioner with The Worcester Human Rights Commission, Board Member of AIDS Project Worcester, and ran for public office in 1999 for a seat on the Worcester City Council. Al is also a Master Trainer for DSS and was a foster parent for approximately 10 years opening his home to almost 50 children.

Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services (GLASS) inc., profiled Al in 2003 as one of severalChampions of LGBTIQQ Youth; The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian publication, named Al as one of 117 Worldwide Innovators in 2001; The local National Conference for Community and Justice awarded Al with the Twenty-Fourth Annual Leadership Award in 2001; in 1998 Worcester Magazine named him a Hometown Hero; and he was named Best of Boston in 1997 by Boston Magazine. Al, Keith and Kayla Toney, Al's biological daughter, were featured in the Showtime documentary on same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, Same Sex America, which was released in April, 2005.

Al and Keith Toney recently completed a book as contributing writers and editors with the National Black Justice Coalition and MassEquality called, Jumping the Broom: A Black Perspective of Same Gender Marriage in Massachusetts released in the spring of 2007. They are also writing and creating a family-oriented children's book that truly reflects the many aspects of diversity as well as finishing Al's autobiography.