“The United States is ‘all in’ on Africa’s future.” This was the line from President Joe Biden at the U.S.-Africa Business Forum in December. This linking of Africa and “future” is a tic of our time. It play-acts inclusivity while deftly stepping past the fact that living in Africa frequently feels like there is no future.
Africans have learned the hard way that all this “future” talk is mostly about other people’s futures — not that of the continent. This is as true for Biden’s ‘future’ as it is for Beijing’s ‘community of a shared future for humankind.” It’s very rare for Africa actually to be included in someone else’s future plans.
