DEI from the perspective of African Heads of State

November 9, 2022 - For my PhD and later for my book, Africa: Reframing Political Leadership, I sat down with multiple Heads of State from countries across the continent of Africa to ask them their views, insights, and lessons learned about life and political leadership – theirs and their peers.

One unexpected theme was DEI or Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.  It came up time and again. Why? I quickly realized that long before DEI became a buzz word, something consultants and journalists started writing about and companies started tracking, Africa’s Heads of State were pushing the envelope as it relates to DEI. Their entire life can be summed as pushing for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

As children and teenagers, they were only able to get an education because they fought for it; they fought to be included and to be treated equal to the colonialists’ children. Presidents H and J*, shared similar stories of how their first exposure to segregation and inequality, came during primary school where they were separated from and received a lower quality of education and less access to materials than children of the colonialists. Both shared how this led them to find solutions in the form of beginning a student union from which to fight for their rights to access books and materials. Both faced opposition from school leadership but persisted until they acquired the results they sought: fair and equitable schooling opportunities for local children on par with the colonial children.

Some of the Heads of State I interviewed were part of their country’s fight for independence which was also all about Equity & Inclusion. President H was part of the group that started the fight for independence for his country: “my colleagues and I wanted to get rid of injustice, oppression of the people, and we fought until we achieved those things. We knew what we wanted and deserved: dignity and equality.” President J shared that the colonialist’s lack of respect for the people of Africa was wrong, disrespectful, and that “I learned respect from observing other Heads of State like President Nyerere. I saw how they showed respect to everyone. They didn’t have to agree with everyone, but they treated them with respect.”

As Heads of State, they continued to promote and support DEI efforts. President G spoke about the importance of DEI due to the many different tribes in his country saying, “I know first hand the dilemma leaders face distinguishing between tribe and country. I belong to a tribe, however my loyalty as Head of State is first to my country.”  For him it is clear: “leadership focused on improving the lives of everyone in my country is not always nice or easy. But it is the right thing to do.”

President J shared: “we all fought for the country’s independence together, we should all govern the country together.” President E remembered the early days when he first got involved in politics while in secondary school and how “all I wanted to do was make a difference in my village. That passion expanded to my country when I saw the crooks in political leadership positions. They had to go.”
For him, “Political leadership is being able to deploy power on behalf of the disadvantaged.” Providing equity for and including them in society.

The fight for DEI continues today, as Africans and their Heads of State continue to fight to be seen as equal to foreign powers and given a seat at the UN Security Council table; be included and listened to on climate change discussions that are affecting them worse than any of the G8 or G20 nations; decide how to develop their energy resources; and ensure the beautiful diversity of Africa from agriculture to human and mineral resources as well as art, fashion, music and movies, is credited as African and developed in Africa

I share all this to highlight what a rich history and experience Africa and Africans have regarding DEI.

You can find more insights from my one-on-one interviews with multiple African Heads of State in my recently released book, Africa: Reframing Political Leadership, available on all Amazon sites in print, audio and e-book formats.

.* I refer to each Head of State with a letter that does not relate to their name or country in order to protect their confidentiality and anonymity.

Photo: Africa’s heads of state at the African Union on February 5, 2022 by AP Photo