President Biden's Foreign Policy Report Card on Africa: A Discussion on U.S.-Africa policy with Dr. Nola Haynes and Nii Simmonds (Part 1)

President Biden is running for his second term in office, but this time it's not just against former President Donald Trump. Republican presidential hopefuls like Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, and let's not forget about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are vying for the White House too. Black America will be the deciding vote on the future of U.S. democracy. President Biden boldly boasted that he had Black America's back in his acceptance speech for the presidency. Despite gains in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and the historic achievement of choosing the first woman of color as his Vice President, Kamala Harris, Black Americans are questioning if President Biden deserves another term in office. But how has U.S. foreign policy impacted the African diaspora? In this three-part series, we will evaluate U.S. foreign policy in the three main corners of the Diaspora: Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Alexanderia Haidara, Global Take Podcast Host, talks to Nii Simmonds, Non-resident Fellow of the Atlantic Council, and Dr. Nola Haynes, Georgetown University professor. They discuss how diaspora engagement shapes U.S.-Africa foreign policy, Vice-President Kamala Harris's recent trip to Africa, and reflect on the impact of the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that took place in Washington, D.C.

About Nii Simmonds

Nii Simmonds is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center and an expert in emerging and frontier markets. He has held top leadership positions in corporate finance, entrepreneurial ecosystems, supply chains, and research commercialization. Simmonds has previously worked for Fortune 500 firms, including companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech, consumer product, and strategy consulting industries. He also provides thought leadership on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, analyzing their impact on society for innovation and policy while accelerating impactful solutions to challenges. Simmonds has worked for the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, and African Development Bank, providing consultation in the areas of private-sector development, diaspora engagement, and financial inclusion. Simmonds holds a BS in Management from Pennsylvania State University and he has undertaken graduate courses in operations/business process management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for Executive Education.

Dr. Nola Haynes

Dr. Nola Haynes is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is an academic, policy writer, and advocate. Her interests center on emerging threats, WMD in space, strategic competition, and intersectionality. Recently, Dr. Nola was named one of the top 50 leaders in national security and foreign affairs by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Diversity in National Security (DINSN). She is the former Director of the West Coast chapter of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) and sits on several boards, including the Women's Caucus for the International Studies Association communications team (WCIS), Foreign Policy board for the American Political Science Association (APSA), and ISA West. She is a Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) member and an alumnus of the WestExec Advisors mentoring program. As a Pacific Council on International Policy member, Dr. Nola works as an Ops Coordinator to help resettle Afghan allies with Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) and is a policy advocate for the Afghan Adjustment Act. Dr. Nola has over ten years of experience working in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is a proud New Orleans native.

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