NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
Africa-America Institute (AAI) will once again celebrate the many
successes of Africa and the
worldwide African diaspora during its 37th Annual Awards Gala,
taking place virtually on Tuesday, September
21, 2021.
Since 1984, the AAI Annual Awards Gala has been the most
anticipated African-centered event in New
York City. As always, the Awards Gala will showcase AAI's
focus on improving education in and about Africa.
In the spirit of interdependence, we're excited to
recognize:
2021 AAI HONOREES
The People of the Republic of Malawi
Accepted by His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President
of the Republic of Malawi
National Achievement Award
Ablade Glover, Artist, Educator and AAI Alumnus
Lifetime Achievement Award
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC),
to be accepted by Dr. John N. Nkengasong, MSc, PhD, Director of the
Africa CDC
2021 Special Award – Global Health Solutions Champion
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, to be accepted by Dr. Matshidiso
Rebecca Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa
Global Health Equity Award
"Please tune in to hear the inspirational story of the People of
the Republic of Malawi's
contribution to the democratic project; the improvements in public
health made by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for
Africa during the pandemic; how
the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enriched then
successfully changed the conversation about pandemic response; and
how our alumni have made lasting contributions that continue to
inspire us all. All of these stories illustrate the theme for this
year's Gala: 'Interdependence'," said AAI President, Kofi Appenteng.
"In my first year as Chair of the Board of Trustees, I want to
commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passing of one of our
co-founders, Henrietta Van Noy, an
outstanding university administrator whose contributions were
essential to our founding. I also want to thank Steve Pfeiffer, who served on our board for 20
years and whose leadership as Chair for the last five years has set
a standard I will strive to emulate," said Christal Jackson, AAI Board Chair.
This year AAI will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the African
Scholarship Program of American Universities. (ASPAU) was a
cooperative effort between AAI, American universities, USAID, and
African governments to provide U.S. undergraduate training for
1,600 scholars from 32 African countries.
Graduates of AAI's ASPAU Program include leaders and influencers
in the non-profit, corporate and governmental sectors, including
those we will celebrate: Nik
Amarteifio, AAI Trustee and leading Ghanaian entrepreneur;
Tralance Addy, the first executive director of the Stanford
Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED) and founder
of Yaro Capital; Adaeze Otue
Ezekoye, community leader, teacher, human services executive
and the namesake of the Lewis-Ezekoye Distinguished Lecture in
Africana Studies at Barnard College;
and Augustine O. Esogbue, the
world's first Black Ph.D. in the field of industrial engineering,
the first Black tenured professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the first
African to have served on the board of NASA.
For more Information and to Register for AAI's 37th Annual
Awards Gala please visit http://www.aaionline.org/gala
ABOUT AAI
The Africa-America Institute (AAI) is a nearly 70-year-old
institution with the mission of promoting enlightened engagement
between Africa and America through
education, training and dialogue. Among our principal co-founders
were Horace Mann Bond and
William Leo Hansberry, two
pioneering African-American scholar activists whose work straddles
the divide between African and African diaspora studies. AAI
continues to embrace the philosophy of education for liberation
that Bond and Hansberry espoused – a philosophy that affirms the
humanity and cultivates the intellectual aspirations and excellence
of all people.
AAI's dual program focus has always been on improving education
in and about Africa. Since its
founding in 1953, over 23,000 Africans have received scholarships
and fellowships from AAI. These Africans are now an esteemed
network of alumni, many of whom are leaders and influencers across
public, private, and governmental sectors in Africa and globally. Included in this network
are current Heads of State, H.E. Hage Geingob, President of the
Republic of Namibia; H.E.
Alassane Ouattara, President of the
Republic of Côte d'Ivoire; H.E. Mohamed Bazoum, President of the
Republic of Niger; and H.E. Cyril
Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa. Many of AAI's alumni have left
an indelible imprint, including the late 2004 Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate, Wangari Mathaai, and the late Barack Obama, Sr.
For more information about AAI's 37th Annual Virtual Awards
Gala, visit aaionline.org/gala
#AAIGala2021 #AAIVirtualGala #AAIAfrica
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Media Contact
Quohnos Mitchell, Glow Global Events, +1 347.828.3292,
quohnos@glowglobalevents.com
Jourden Warren, Africa-America Institute, 646.645.7286,
Jwarren@aaionline.org
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SOURCE Africa-America Institute (AAI)