Research Catalog

Title

Constituency for Africa collection.

Author

Constituency for Africa, creator.

Publication

1986-1995.

Supplementary Content

Finding aid

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

0.63 linear feet (2 boxes)

Summary

• The Constituency for Africa (CFA) was founded in 1990, when a group of concerned Africanists, interested citizens, and Africa-focused organizations developed a strategy to build organized support for Africa in the United States. Since its founding, the Constituency for Africa (CFA) has established itself as the foremost organization in the United States committed to educating and mobilizing the U.S. public on matters pertaining to Africa. CFA has become a leader in shaping U.S.-Africa policy in key areas, including curbing the AIDS pandemic in Africa and increasing trade between the U.S. and Africa. CFA regularly meets with ambassadors and officials from Congress, the White House, the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank, regarding U.S.-Africa policy issues. CFA also conducts town hall meetings, which cover topics such as business, trade and investment, human rights, culture, governance, media, democracy, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These meetings have been held in more than thirty cities and have attracted nearly 15,000 participants. CFA also founded and sponsors the annual Ronald H. Brown African Affairs Series which is held in conjunction with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Legislative Week each September. The series honors the late U.S. Commerce Secretary for his accomplishments in building strategic political, economic, and cultural linkages between the United States and Africa. Additionally, CFA conducts an award winning college/university intern program on African policy issues. CFA has been credited with fostering grassroots mobilization to spur the successful passage of two historic pieces of American legislation affecting the continent of Africa: the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which has assisted the economies of sub-Saharan Africa and improved economic relations between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa, and the Global AIDS Trust Fund.
• The Constituency for Africa (CFA) collection mostly consists of subject files; there are a few CFA-generated materials, including a proposal for establishing a 501(c)(3) organization, a position paper on U.S. policies in Africa, a draft proposal for an organizational structure and budget, printed matter (flyers and a press release), and correspondence. The rest of the material, arranged alphabetically, includes printed matter (press releases, clippings, and speeches) and some correspondence on various African organizations (such as the African National Congress, Boeing, and Citibank), individuals (such as F. W. de Klerk and Alan Boesak), programs (including the White House Conference on Africa and a Duke University symposium on Africa), and topics (such as apartheid and disinvestment). Most of the subject files are about the political situation in South Africa and cover the years 1989-1990. It is unclear if CFA participated in the events described in some of these files; there are handwritten notes in a few, including the Duke University symposium on Africa and the Association of American Publishing book boycott folders, so it is possible that they were involved in some way. The original folder titles for the subject files have been retained.

Subjects

• United States > Foreign relations > Africa
• Nonprofit organizations
• International trade
• International relations
• HIV infections > Prevention
• African diaspora
• African American college students
• African Union

Source (note)

• Gift of Gloria Dickerson, 1998.

Call Number

Sc MG 641

OCLC

1325716389

Author

Constituency for Africa, creator.

Title

Constituency for Africa collection.

Production

1986-1995.

Type of Content

text

still image

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

sheet

Source

Gift of Gloria Dickerson, 1998.

Connect to:

Finding aid

Research Call Number

Sc MG 641