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President Clinton paid a 12-day state visit to 6 African countries last spring. The trip, to Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, and Senegal, was the first visit to Africa south of the Sahara by an American President in 20 years and the longest overseas trip to date of the Clinton presidency. An entourage of more than 800 Americans, including assistants, advisers, members of Congress, cabinet members, business and labor leaders, mayors, and church leaders, accompanied the President.
The main purpose of the visit was to improve relations between the United States and Africa south of the Sahara by transforming the way Africans and Americans perceive each other. Many Africans fault the United States for taking an interest in the continent only during times of crisis, such as famines. For their part, many Americans view Africa as a land of catastrophes. "We have to demystify Africa for Americans," said White House national security adviser Samuel R. "Sandy” Berger.
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While in Africa, President Clinton visited Gorée Island, a small island in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Senegal. During the 1700s and 1800s, millions of Africans were chained to walls on Gorée Island before being shipped to the Americas as slaves. Although President Clinton did not formally apologize for slavery, as many African American leaders had hoped he would, he did address the issue. “America's struggle to overcome slavery and its legacy forms one of the most difficult chapters in its history. Yet it is also one of the most heroic—a triumph of courage, persistence, and dignity,'' the President said. “The long journey of African Americans proves that the spirit can never be enslaved.''
- What was the purpose of President Clinton's visit to Africa last spring?Answer
- What was the significance of his visits to Goree Island?Answer
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