Africa’s Century and the United States: Policy Options for Transforming US-Africa Economic Engagement into a 21st Century Partnership
In President Biden’s February 2021 address to the African Union Summit, he signaled his intent to reframe the United States’ relationship with Africa, stating, “…the United States stands ready to be your partner, in solidarity, support, and mutual respect. We believe in the nations of Africa.” The following July, he announced the White House would host African leaders in Washington, D.C. for the US-Africa Leaders Summit.
In the eight years since the first US-Africa Leaders Summit in 2014, the continent has transformed significantly. The decade since the United States turned toward enhanced economic engagement has yielded deeper US-Africa commercial ties. The second Summit, hosted in December 2022, sought to build on this trajectory and demonstrate visibly the administration’s commitment to building a “21st century partnership” with Africa.
This publication provides an overview our or Brown Capital Management Africa Forum's US-Africa Leaders Summit paper series including the progress made, challenges faced, and potential opportunities in US-Africa economic relations.
This paper is part of the US-Africa Leaders Summit series. The full series is available to read here.
The Brown Capital Management Africa Forum is a premier platform for substantive and solutions-oriented dialogue on key trade, investment, and sustainable development issues in Africa, and in US-Africa relations. Launched in 2015, the Africa Forum conducts research on key development issues and provides a high-level platform for convening Africa, US, and international business leaders, policymakers and subject matter experts in forward-leaning policy-oriented dialogue aimed at advancing sustainable development in Africa and fostering mutually beneficial economic relations between Africa and the United States. The Brown Capital Management Africa Forum is made possible by the generous financial support of Brown Capital Management, LLC (Baltimore, Maryland).
Africa Program
The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations. Read more
