President Joe Biden on Tuesday (September 26, 2023) announced the first members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, which included actress Viola Davis, who will advise Washington on deepening ties with African communities.
Washington has made an effort to highlight the region’s significance and combat any threats China and Russia may pose to American interests in this growingly significant area.
In order to strengthen its relations with the continent, Washington announced intentions to create the council in December of last year during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.
According to Judd Devermont, the senior director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, the council will advise the president on a variety of issues, including how to improve ties between African communities and the United States, encouraging trade and investment, and fostering educational exchanges, among others.
Bishop Silvester Beaman of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who delivered the invocation during Vice President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, will serve as the council’s chair.
Along with Viola Davis, other members of the group include Almaz Negash, the creator of the African Diaspora Network, and Patrick Gaspard, the president and chief executive officer of the Center for American Progress. C.D. Glin is also a member.
Davis this year won a Grammy for her audio recording of her memoir “Finding Me,” granting her entry into the elite ranks of EGOT winners with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award.
The White House in a press release said Davis was “a revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist”, who among other things, “has partnered with multiple programs to eliminate child hunger in the United States”.
The United States aims to position itself as a better partner to African countries as China has sought to expand its influence by funding infrastructure projects on the continent and elsewhere.
Russia held its first Africa summit in 2019 and since sending troops into Ukraine has been pushing harder for influence and business on a continent where its Wagner mercenary group remains active.
Ref: Reuters
