US Strategy Aims to Strengthen Ties with African Communities

As the United States celebrates Juneteenth, policymakers should consider a new vision for US-Africa relations. The United States isn’t doing enough to strengthen connections between the African diaspora and communities in Africa, requiring a “glocal” approach—acting both locally and globally.

Good foreign policy aligns with good domestic policy, and the flaws in US domestic policy regarding racial justice became evident after the killing of George Floyd in 2020. Human-rights organizations worldwide, particularly in Africa, demanded justice. African nations even lobbied the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate systemic racism and police brutality in the United States. Despite this, Africans and African descendants continue to face challenges.

Strengthening Economic and Cultural Ties

African diaspora communities in the United States and Caribbean are building stronger economic and cultural ties with African communities through business, sports, art, movies, politics, religion, and philanthropy. Notable examples include Flutterwave, an African tech startup valued at over three billion dollars with American backers, and Nigerian-born Pearlean Igbokwe, chairman at Universal Studio Group. The recent AFRICON event in Los Angeles brought together prominent members of the Black diaspora to celebrate Africa, highlighting the desire to build bridges between Black Americans, Caribbean Americans, and Africans.

Programs like the US Peace Corps and the Young African Leaders Initiative’s Mandela Washington Fellowship also contribute to these connections, providing opportunities for collaboration and exchange. Individuals who have served as Peace Corps volunteers in Africa, for example, have experienced firsthand the power of collective impact while working with African government officials and private-sector stakeholders. The number of Sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in the United States has tripled since 2000, signaling a desire to contribute to American and African innovation.

A Slow Start

While there’s strong public demand for improved ties, the United States has made some progress. Congress passed the 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act to educate the public about the contributions of African Americans, and the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act to address Russian influence on the continent. President Biden issued an executive order expanding initiatives supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and formed a President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. He is also planning to host a US-Africa Leaders’ Summit after an eight-year hiatus, earning unanimous Senate praise. There is also movement in the House to support the US African Development Foundation.

The United States has also seen increased representation of the African diaspora in public positions, including the election of Vice President Kamala Harris, the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, and the appointment of White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Biden’s cabinet includes seven Black leaders, and the 117th Congress includes fifty-eight Black representatives. Lisa Cook was recently sworn in as the first Black woman on the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.

Despite these advancements, the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Indexes rank the United States forty-first in minority rights among 174 countries, indicating a need for concrete action and glocal policies that empower African diaspora communities and improve cross-cultural collaboration.

A New Vision: Glocalization

The United States should implement local policies that integrate into an international agenda. The United Kingdom’s 2015 Modern Slavery Act, aimed at ending modern slavery within the UK and removing the country from the global system of oppression, serves as an example. Similarly, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require states to take meaningful action to reduce inequality and improve the United States’ reputation as a leader in human rights.

California’s establishment of a Reparations Task Force, the first of its kind in the nation, demonstrates a state-level initiative to study slavery and its harms. However, broader action is needed. The recent massacre in Buffalo, New York, has heightened fears of racist attacks, potentially impacting tourism and immigration from Africa.

Creative glocal policies, such as entrepreneur passports similar to the United Arab Emirates’ Gold Visa, could foster cross-cultural collaboration and contribute to the ecosystem of collective impact.

My Brother’s Keeper

There is a strong desire to reconnect African Americans with their African heritage. As a young Black man, the speaker emphasizes the shared identity of Black Americans and Africans and believes everyone has a role to play in supporting African diaspora communities. Many Africans and members of the diaspora are traveling to Africa to connect with their roots, aided by advances in DNA research.

Global leaders must continue to push for glocal measures that empower the African diaspora and strengthen ties with African communities. This begins with educating American youth about African and Black history and culture. Glocal policies have the potential to boost development on the continent and within US Black communities.

Tyrell Junius is the associate director of the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center.