President Obama's Visit And Africa's Second Uhuru

Dear Mr. President,

Your trip to Africa this week presents a legacy-defining opportunity.

President George W. Bush is remembered for the billions of dollars he made available to fight HIV/Aids; a program which has continued under your administration.

Bill Clinton, while decried for allowing genocide in Rwanda, is also hailed for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), the preferential trade deal that allows some duty free exports from participating African countries to the U.S.; this program was also recently renewed by Congress under your administration.

Mr. President, you initiated the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit which can become a transformative forum for increased business interaction and trade between the U.S. and Africa; and through the Young African Leaders Initiative, you've provided fellowship opportunities that brings 500 young Africans to study in the U.S.

Mr. President, you can even help Africans with something much more enduring; which is to win their second independence or Uhuru. You can do so by committing the U.S. to ending its support to African autocrats.

Africa's first liberation was from European colonial oppression and exploitation.

The second struggle, which many Africans have been engaged in since the end of colonial regimes, is freedom from the tyranny of many of their rulers, some of whom are supported by the United States.      President Obama's Visit And Africa's Second Uhuru