Isaiah Washington, Hope Sullivan Masters and African Ancestry.com have joined forces to strengthen the continent of Africa through engaging and enlightening the African diaspora. Washington and Masters recognize the importance of building a bridge between Africa and her children that are spread abroad.
Washington’s recently reported epiphany that DNA has memory — specifically speaking to African ancestral connections — and Masters’ work in building upon the legacy of her philanthropist father, the late Rev. Leon Sullivan, through the Sullivan Foundation, have merged perfectly to set the stage for economic and cultural empowerment on both sides of that bridge. Ancestry.com becomes a necessary mechanism in that effort and getting the dialogue started.
The three have come together to promote the African Policy Forum, which will be held on American soil for the first time. President Jimmy Carter and Ambassador Andrew Young will host the event. The forum, which will include seminars, events, entertainment and dinners, will feature virtually every African president from South Africa to Morocco in a think tank setting in Atlanta, exploring the myriad opportunities for Africans and African Americans to unite. The historic event is open to the public and free to students.
The five-day Africa Policy forum (Sept. 24–28) is the brainchild of Hope Sullivan Masters and promises to meet African Americans on every level, including health, art, culture, and business. Session topics include: The Media’s Africa May Not by Your Africa; Nollywood (the Nigerian film industry produces more films than U.S. and India’s Bollywood); Dual Citizenship; and Women’s Power.
Ancestry’s role is to help Africans and African Americans discover each other and their actual tribal heritage. At the African Ancestry Reveal Dinner, Washington, along with recording artist KEM, India.Arie and Ne-Yo will attend and perform as part of the forum, and they will also get to know their true African lineage as confirmed by African Ancestry.com by tracing their DNA markers.
