Historic Appointment: Deniece Laurent-Mantey, Ghanaian American, Named Executive Director of New Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement by President Biden
President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday the inaugural members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. During the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the Biden-Harris administration said it was establishing this Council to work towards the prosperity of the African continent and its people and strengthen the unique relationship between the U.S. and Africa.
The Council is made up of 12 members including Rosalind Brewer of Georgia, Chinenye Joy Ogwumike of Texas, and Rev. Dr. Silvester Scott Beaman, who will serve as Chair of the Council. The members were appointed by the Secretary of State and the Council represents the diversity of the African Diaspora from African American communities around the U.S. and immigrants across Africa and the Caribbean, the White House said in a statement.
Members of the council are people who have made a mark in government, business, sports, creative industries, academia, social work, and faith-based activities.
Ghanaian American Deniece Laurent-Mantey is the new appointed Executive Director of the inaugural Council. The Bronx, New York native and former Director of Africa at the White House will see to it that the Council members “provide invaluable guidance to reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the U.S. and Africa, and promote trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the United States and Africa,” the White House statement said.
According to the African Union, the African Diaspora is composed of “people of African origin living outside of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.”
The African Diaspora in the United States is made up of African Americans, including descendants of enslaved Africans, and almost two million African immigrants who have close familial, social, and economic connections to the continent, according to the White House. The community has been making significant contributions to America’s growth and prosperity over the years. During the African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum last year, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the creation of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. Biden subsequently issued an executive order (EO) directing the Secretary of State to establish the Council to improve the dialogue between U.S. officials and the African Diaspora.
Source: Face2faceafrica.com