Viola Davis is all set to join the US African diaspora council through which she will advise Washington on deepening ties with African communities.
It was announced by US President Joe Biden. Washington has sought to stress the region’s importance and counter challenges posed by China and Russia to the United States’ interests in the increasingly important region.
Washington announced plans to establish the council in December last year during the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, which aimed to deepen Washington’s ties with the region.
The chair of the council will be Silvester Beaman, the Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church who pronounced the benediction at Biden’s inauguration in 2021.
In addition to Viola Davis, members include: Patrick Gaspard, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress think tank; C.D. Glin, president of the PepsiCo Foundation and global head of social impact for PepsiCo; and Almaz Negash, founder of the African Diaspora Network, among others.
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Davis this year won a Grammy for the audio recording of her memoir “Finding Me,” granting her entry into the elite ranks of EGOT winners with an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award.
The White House in a press release said Davis was “a revered artist, activist, producer, philanthropist”, who among other things, “has partnered with multiple programs to eliminate child hunger in the United States”.
The United States aims to position itself as a better partner to African countries as China has sought to expand its influence by funding infrastructure projects on the continent and elsewhere.
