Sec. 1 Policy
The United States has a longstanding commitment to engagement with the African Diaspora—people of native African origin living outside the African continent, and who have been collectively described as constituting the sixth region of the African Union. The African Diaspora in the United States is a source of strength, and encompasses African Americans—including descendants of enslaved Africans—and nearly two million African immigrants who have close familial, social, and economic connections to the African continent. African Americans have been foundational to strengthening United States-Africa relations and in shaping United States foreign policy toward Africa—including by actively advocating on the African continent's behalf, even as they struggled for civil rights in the United States. The African immigrant community continues to make significant contributions to America's growth and prosperity. The United States Government encourages efforts to advance equity and opportunity for the African Diaspora in the United States, and will continue to encourage efforts to strengthen cultural, social, political, and economic ties between African communities, the global African Diaspora, and the United States.
In August 2022, my Administration released the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, which outlines our foreign policy objectives to bolster relations with African nations, listen to diverse local voices, and widen the circle of engagement to advance our strategic objectives for the benefit of both Africans and Americans.