Harris’s tour to three countries carried geopolitical aims, as the US looks to bolster African relations and counter Chinese influence
Kamala Harris’s trip to Africa, at turns eliciting deep reflection from the historic US vice president, offered a chance for her to reconnect with Black Americans whose support is crucial for her and President Joe Biden’s looming reelection bid. Picture: BLOOMBERG
Harris’s weeklong tour to three countries carried geopolitical aims, as the US looks to bolster African relations and counter Chinese influence. But just as important is the political and cultural impact of the tour by the first black and woman vice-president, one which was loaded with references and imagery intended to send a strong signal to black voters at home and the broader African diaspora.
Much of the imagery hearkened back to former President Barack Obama’s historic visits to the continent, with Harris speaking before crowds and surrounded by throngs of young people. Harris walked by a plaque at the Cape Coast Castle marking Obama’s visit there and travelled down a road in Tanzania named in his honour — powerful symbols to black voters who helped elect him and are a key part of Biden’s coalition.
The trip “represents for her an opportunity to put a stake in the ground about the role that she can play in foreign policy,” he said. “It’s not just about economics. It’s not just about some sort of strategic advantage. It is an authentic cultural link with Africa that she represents.” The week was a reprieve from the criticisms Harris faces domestically, where her early days in the administration were marked by staff turnover and a challenging assignment to address the root causes of migration from Central America. Harris’s supporters argue that she faced heightened expectations entering office.
Crowds in each country — Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia — received Harris warmly. Perhaps nowhere more so than in Zambia, where Harris spent time as a young girl and where her grandfather was a public servant in the Indian government assigned to work on refugee resettlement in Zambia.
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