Washington, DC — April 3, marks the tenth anniversary of the plane crash in Croatia which ended the life of late Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and 34 others traveling with him on a trade mission to the Balkans. The Constituency for Africa (CFA), a Washington, D.C. based coalition of organizations, groups and individuals with interest in Africa, acknowledges the contributions made by the late Secretary in forging U.S. ties with Africa.
"Ron Brown opened the doors to recognition of the importance of the US-Africa relationship, highlighting the trade and investment opportunities, traveling to Africa and supporting organizations seeking to educate, advocate and build ties with Africa," said Melvin P. Foote, the Chief Executive Officer of the Constituency for Africa. In celebration of Ron Brown's legacy, CFA established a highly regarded Ronald H. Brown African Affairs series during Congressional Black Caucus Week which features speakers and seminars on critical issues confronting Africa, including issues of health, agriculture, energy and trade.
"The term, 'Africa matters' was used by the National Summit on Africa and many other events over recent years, but was first used in a major speech by Ron Brown. He truly put the spotlight on Africa's potential for the Clinton Administration. He got American companies who would never have considered trading and investing, to take a closer look. He also elevated the African diplomatic corps and Africa focused organizations by engaging them in dialogue and showing them the respect he believed they deserved," reflected Leonard Robinson, President of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa.
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Ron Brown was the first African-American chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the first to travel to sub-Saharan Africa. During that trip in 1990 he talked about political development, but also the importance of trade and investment. Later, when he became Secretary of Commerce, he made good on his belief in the importance of economic development and commercial ties by leading numerous trade missions to Africa including one to South Africa a few days after sanctions were lifted by the US; he opened a US commercial center in South Africa, now named after him; opened and expanded commercial offices in regional hubs throughout Africa; supported passage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act; rallied other US Government Agencies around Africa issues and invited senior officials from those agencies to travel with him to Africa and to develop solutions to problems in a cooperative manner. He helped to create the Corporate Council on Africa and remained a loyal supporter during his tenure as Commerce Secretary.
Michael Brown, Board Member of CFA, lobbyist and candidate for Mayor of Washington, DC, reflected on his father's travels to Africa. "My father is still remembered in many places in Africa. Fellows from the Ron Brown Institute based in Pretoria have been interns in companies in southern Africa. Small and medium sized companies go to the Ron Brown Commercial Center in Johannesburg for help with their commercial transactions. He introduced us to the benefits of commercial diplomacy."
The Constituency for Africa is a non-profit and non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on advocacy and educational initiatives directed at U.S. - Africa policy. CFA's mission is to advocate, educate, inspire, act upon and inform its constituency about issues, concerns and challenges impacting the quality of life for the nations of Africa.
