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African-American Institute

 Organization

Biography

The African-American Institute (AAI) plays a notable role in the fostering of educational ties between the United States and countries in Africa; the Institute is a major source of funding for African students wishing to study in the United States, and a voice for Africa in the United States.

AAI was founded (as the Institute for African-American Relations) in 1953 in Washington, D.C., by Dr. Horace Mann Bond (Lincoln University) and Professor William Leo Hansberry (Howard University) to support African students in their pursuit of higher education in the United States. AAI expanded its role to higher education scholarship programs in the United States, with support from U.S. government funding, to build African leadership and assist Africans in attaining a world-class education and skills that could be applied in post-colonial Africa. By the mid-1990s, AAI focused its efforts on providing training opportunities for Africans in both the U.S. and Africa; in the early- 2000s, AAI offered a platform for increased U.S.-Africa engagement with policymakers, academics and key business and thought leaders from the U.S. and Africa on issues relevant Africa.

The Institute changed its name to Africa-America Institute in the late 1990s to convey more clearly the organization’s transatlantic focus.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

African American Institute records

 Collection
Identifier: 033
Abstract

The African-American Institute (AAI) plays a notable role in the fostering of educational ties between the United States and countries in Africa; the Institute is a major source of funding for African students wishing to study in the United States, and a voice for Africa in the United States. The African American Institute records document the Institute's work in international aid and education.

Dates: 1982 - 1985