The co-founder and CEO of the dominant African fintech company Chipper Cash, Ham Serunjogi, has been appointed by President Joe Biden to the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.
According to The Times, Serunjogi is one of the 12 founding members of the Council, according to a statement issued by the White House on Tuesday.
The creation of the Council was an important commitment made by Vice President Harris on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration during the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, with the intention of strengthening communication between American leaders and the African Diaspora.
The statement claimed that the foundation of the country’s connection with Africa in the twenty-first century is the vast and diversified African Diaspora in the United States, which consists of both African Americans and African immigrants.
The community, which includes descendants of Black Americans who were held as slaves, has long fought for the prosperity of the African continent and its people and bolstered the special bond between the United States and Africa, according to the statement.
The White House’s announcement highlighted the selection criteria for the Council’s members.
According to Executive Order 14089, the Advisory Council is composed of up to 12 members who are chosen by the Secretary of State and who represent the diversity of the African Diaspora from African American communities across the United States and African immigrant groups across the continent and the Caribbean.
Members of the Council include those who have achieved distinction in business, government, athletics, the arts, academics, social work, and religious endeavors.
They will offer vital counsel to strengthen trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the United States and Africa, as well as to strengthen cultural, social, political, and economic relations between the two continents.
The CEO of Chipper Cash responded to the appointment by posting a message on his X account.
“I am deeply moved and humbled to share that I have been appointed by Secretary of State Blinken, along with a very distinguished group of 11 other leaders, to serve on the Inaugural President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.
“I’m excited to provide President Biden with advice on a variety of topics, such as how to improve ties between Africa and the United States, fostering commerce and investment, and fostering academic interactions, among others.”
He added that being an African Diaspora representative in the Biden-Harris administration is a special chance for him to repay a country that has been so kind to him by working to strengthen ties between the US and African communities both here in the US and in Africa.
“Working closely with Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken, and President Biden is something I’m looking forward to. I shall always hold this responsibility and honour in the highest regard.”
According to the White House, the Council also consists of Silvester Scott Beaman of Delaware (Chair) Mimi E. Alemayehou of Washington, D.C., (Member) Rosalind Brewer of Georgia, Viola Davis of Rhode Island, Helene D. Gayle of Georgia, Patrick Hubert Gaspard of New York, C.D. Glin of Connecticut, Osagie Imasogie of Pennsylvania, Almaz Negash of California, Chinenye Joy Ogwumike of Texas, and Kevin Young of Washington, D.C.
