Toast
Remarks by the President at U.S.-African Leaders Summit Dinner
South Lawn
August 05, 2014
Good evening, everybody. Please have a seat. On behalf of Michelle and myself, welcome to
the White House. This city, this house,
has welcomed foreign envoys and leaders for more than two centuries. But never before have we hosted a dinner at
the White House like this, with so many Presidents, so many Prime Ministers all
at once. (Applause.) So we are grateful for all the leaders who
are in attendance. We are grateful to
the spouses. I think the men will agree
that the women outshine us tonight in the beautiful colors of Africa.
Tonight we are making history,
and it’s an honor to have all of you here.
And I stand before you as the
President of the United States and a proud American. I also stand before you as the son of a man from
Africa. (Applause.) The blood of Africa runs through our
family. And so for us, the bonds between
our countries, our continents, are deeply personal.
We’re grateful for the ties of
family. Of all the incredible moments of
our trips to Africa, one of the most memorable was being able to bring
Michelle, and later our little girls, to my father’s hometown in Kenya, where
we were embraced by so many relatives.
We’ve walked the steps of a
painful past – in Ghana, at Cape Coast Castle; in Senegal, at Gorée Island –
standing with our daughters in those doors of no return through which so many
Africans passed in chains. We’ll never
forget bringing our daughters to Robben Island, to the cell from which Madiba
showed the unconquerable strength and dignity of an African heart.
We’ve been inspired by Africans
-- ordinary Africans doing extraordinary things. Farmers boosting their yields, health workers
saving lives from HIV/AIDS, advocates standing up for justice and the rule of
law, courageous women asserting their rights, entrepreneurs creating jobs,
African peacekeepers risking their lives to save the innocent.
And both of us stand in awe of
the extraordinary young Africans that we’ve met, not only across Africa, but
most recently here in Washington just last week when we hosted our Mandela
Washington Fellows from many of your countries.
And those young people show the world that Africa has the talent and the
drive to forge a new future.
These are the tides of history,
and the ties of family, that bring us together this week. These are the citizens who look to us to
build a future worthy of their dreams – especially those who dream of giving
their children a future without war or injustice, without poverty or
disease. They are in our prayers tonight.
And also with us are the words of
a song – “New Africa” – that have inspired so many across the continent, and
that Michelle and I first heard last year in Senegal:
Come together, New Africa
Work together
Keep on working, for Africa
And so I propose a toast to the
New Africa – the Africa that is rising and so full of promise – and to our
shared task to keep on working for the peace and prosperity and justice that
all our people seek and that all our people so richly deserve.
Cheers. (A toast is offered.)
Enjoy your dinner,
everybody. (Applause.) |
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