In Celebration of "This Africa Idea" by Witney Schneidman

The evening will feature a fireside conversation with the author exploring his career and the stories in the book, followed by audience Q&A, a book signing, and an opportunity to meet Witney and connect with fellow members of Washington's Africa community. This is an excellent opportunity for Washington’s future leaders in U.S.-Africa relations - between business, government, academia, and beyond - to engage in thoughtful discussion, expand your network, and learn from one of DC’s preeminent Africanists. Date: Wednesday, September 30Time: 5:30 – 7:30 PMVenue: The Continent (1100 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC) Food, beverage, and books will be available for purchase at the event. Purchase the book in advance here. *** Witney Schneidman is a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Board member of the Corporate Council on Africa, the founder of his own Africa-focused consulting practice, an Advisory Board member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, and the author of Engaging Africa: Washington and the Fall of Portugal’s Colonial Empire. During his extensive career, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the Clinton Administration where he worked on the peace process in Angola, South Africa’s transition to democracy, and the passage and implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia. “My purpose in writing this book is to challenge the single narrative of Africa as a place to pity and instead offer a portrait of the continent’s complexity and diversity…This is the story of Africa as I have come to know it: a continent constantly defying the odds.”—from the Prologue