Penn Carey Law professor Osagie Imasogie has been named an inaugural member of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States.
In 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the establishment of this Council, intended to foster greater engagement by United States officials with African diaspora communities.
“This community, which includes descendants of enslaved Black Americans, has long advocated for the prosperity of the African continent and its people, and strengthened the unique relationship between the United States and Africa," according to the White House's statement.
Imasogie, a 1985 Penn Law graduate, is a member of the University's Board of Trustees. He received the 2008 Penn Carey Law Alumni Award of Merit. In 2019, he donated $3 million to endow the "Imasogie Professorship in Law & Technology" scholarship along with his wife, Losenge Imasogie.
In addition to teaching at Penn Law, Imasogie is the chairman of investment bank Quoin Capital and co-founder of private equity firm PIPV Capital. He holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and Penn Carey Law School.
The advisory council comprises of 12 individuals appointed by the Secretary of the State, each serving a two-year term. According to the announcement, these individuals include government, sports, academia, and faith-based community leaders. They will help support the Biden-Harris Administration in reinforcing cultural and economic ties with Africa.
Other council members include Viola Davis, artist and New York Times best-selling author, and Patrick Gaspard, the Center for American Progress CEO and president. Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Silvester Beaman will chair the Council.
The advisory council will also advise Biden on strategies to advance equity for the African diaspora community.
According to Biden’s executive order, the council will help “address challenges and opportunities to advance inclusion, belonging, and public awareness of the diversity, accomplishments, culture, and history of the African Diaspora.”
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