- Sunday, April 28, 2024
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The Africa
Center on Wednesday announced that Dr. Uzodinma Iweala will step down from his
role of CEO in December 2024, after seven transformative years at the helm of
the institution.
Under Dr.
Iweala's leadership, The Africa Center evolved from a visual arts museum into
an interdisciplinary center with an expanded mission that includes culture and
policy programming that aims to change narratives and create new opportunities
for Africa and the Diaspora.
With its newly
expanded mission, The Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall first opened its
doors to the public in 2019, swiftly becoming a thriving cultural hub in
Harlem. The Center has since has produced more than 280 programs across its
thematic areas of culture, policy, and business related to contemporary African
life. The Center has welcomed more than 177,000 visitors to contemporary
cultural exhibitions, art installations, performances, film screenings, author
talks, policy forums, and a myriad of special events, including Harlem-Day
celebrations.
"After
seven years of dedicated service to The Africa Center, I have decided that it
is time to turn the page and write my next chapter. My journey at The Africa
Center has been incredibly rewarding, not just professionally but personally,
as our team has worked tirelessly to fulfill and expand our mission. I am proud
of what we have accomplished together, from opening our doors to hosting
programs and exhibitions centered on African people and the African Diaspora
that may not have happened anywhere else but here. We’ve built a resilient and
supportive community around our mission. I am confident that the Center is in a
strong position to welcome new leadership to carry the institution to even
greater heights,” Dr. Iweala said of his departure.
"The Board
of Trustees is immensely grateful to Iweala for his visionary leadership,
passion, and unwavering commitment to The Africa Center," said Board
Co-Chair Chelsea Clinton.
Board Co-Chair
Jendayi Frazer also said: "Uzodinma leaves behind a legacy of growth,
innovation, and community engagement that will continue to inspire our work for
years to come. We are committed to finding a successor who will build on his
achievements and who will guide The Africa Center into its next phase of
development as an institution and center for the exploration of contemporary
African issues in New York City and across the globe."
Iweala’s notable
accomplishments include creation of the Future Africa Forum, which initiated
The Africa Center’s interdisciplinary approach to policy programming. That
signature forum convenes heads of state, senior political officials, industry
leaders, philanthropists, and luminaries in culture for discussions during the
United Nations General Assembly.
Iweala also
brought The Africa Center into a trailblazing partnership with Africa No Filter
and the University of Cape Town to develop the Global Media Index that provides
a benchmark for the way Africa is covered in the media. Among the curatorial
highlights, Iweala’s team partnered with Museum of Food and Drink to co-present
the landmark exhibition African/American: Making the Nations Table and with
Independent Curators International to co-present the exhibition States of
Becoming that featured cutting-edge 17 African artists from the continent and
Diaspora.
Iweala worked
closely with the Board of Trustees to negotiate a retirement of the museum’s
debt, reinvigorate fundraising, jumpstart construction of its flagship Aliko
Dangote Hall, and grow relations with its neighbors. Iweala established a solid
foundation of support for the Center within Harlem, the greater New York City
area, on the African continent, and within African Diasporic communities
throughout the world.
Isaacson, Miller
will conduct the search for The Africa Center’s next leader in concert with the
organization’s Transition Committee that includes Trustees Temi Adeniji, Jim
Bildner, Jamie Cooper, Jendayi Frazer, Meredith Marshall, and Ben Stein.
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