Building Together
Dear AAI Community,
I'm delighted to share this summer edition of our newsletter, full of the work our community has been doing across the globe. In a letter I shared with friends and family on the 250th anniversary of American Independence, I reflected on the idea of a Global African genius for freedom — on how our power comes from our interdependence, and how, in this moment, a bold, creative, material, and ambitious vision for freedom is exactly what Global Africa is giving the world, as we always have.
That same spirit runs through everything in this issue. You'll find the marvelous stories of our alumni, many of whom have sparked systemic change in their fields and around the world. This past May, we partnered with the New York African Film Festival for their annual festival, bringing forward stories connected to our own institutional history. Their summer programming continues in that same spirit, and if you're based in New York, I'd encourage you to check it out — even as an admirer this time, rather than a partner. You'll also find some comments from my remarks as a board member of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), on the importance of bringing this same generative, bold approach to U.S.-Africa policy. This spring's edition of our ADEPT program, led by Dr. Anne-Marea Griffin, was substantive and exciting, and you'll find highlights from that gathering as well. And you'll see updates from our honorees — including 2025 AAI Gala Honoree Roy Swan, whose new book, Positive Sum: How Zero-sum Thinking Broke Capitalism — and How We Can Fix It, puts forward a rigorous, urgent, and exciting form of capitalism to power our growth.
Looking ahead, I'm eager to be in the room with many of you this fall, particularly for the next edition of our ADEPT program in Washington, DC in October.
As always, I'd love to hear your feedback on this newsletter.
Yours in community,
Felicia Appenteng
President & CEO
The Africa-America Institute