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Serving More Than 50,000 African American Readers Throughout The Metropolitan Area / Vol. 49, No.42 July 31 - Aug 6, 2014
Audience members listen as President Barack Obama delivers remarks and participates in a Young African Leaders Initiative town hall at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., July 28, 2014. /Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Historic U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Convenes Gray, District Officials Welcome Dignitaries By Stacy M. Brown WI Contributing Writer Karen Bass has looked closely at America’s relationship with Africa and finds the facts to be a bit disconcerting. Bass, a U.S. Congresswoman from California, noted that the U.S. has gone from a lead-
ing trade partner with Africa to sorely lagging behind the European Union (EU), China and other countries. “I’m hoping when the various leaders come to the United States, they are actually able to make connections that will lead to an increase in trade and business deals between our compa-
nies here and those there in Africa,” said Bass, 60, who has a long history of trying to help change how Americans think about and engage African nations. As officials set to convene a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on Capitol Hill beginning on Monday, August 4, Bass said she’s keenly aware that the
United States’ $60 billion in total trade with Africa falls shy of the $200 billion in trade between the EU and Africa last year. It’s also a far cry from the $170 billion Africa negotiated with China. “I’m hoping for a reset of U.S. and African relations because I do know that Africa has been
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front and center on the president’s agenda, but I don’t think it has been on the public’s agenda,” said Bass, who also noted the importance of focusing on the soon-to-expire African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), signed into law by President Bill
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