Global Action Starts at Home: A Conversation with Rachel Bowen Pittman on Advocacy, Leadership, and the Power of UNA-USA

In this episode of Global Take, we sit down with Rachel Bowen Pittman, Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), to explore the power of grassroots advocacy in shaping global diplomacy. Rachel shares her journey, the vital role of UNA-USA in strengthening U.S.-UN relations, and how everyday Americans can make an impact on international issues. From mobilizing communities to influencing policy, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone passionate about global engagement and leadership.

In this episode, Global Take Podcast host, Alexanderia Haidara, catches up with Carnegie Endowment Fellow. Dr. Christopher Shell on his recent research exploring Black American views on various U.S. foreign policy issues from Ukraine, the Israel and Hamas War, and the Chicago migrant crisis. In his article, "How views on Race Relations Shape African-Americans perspective U.S. Foreign Policy Preferences,” he stated that  "numerous African American intellectuals and grassroots organizers—most notably W. E. B. Du Bois, Paul Robeson, and Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a few—grappled with whether or not to cosign aspects of the Cold War agenda (such as anti-communism and the policy of containment) while the full rights of citizenship were denied to the majority of African Americans living under Jim Crow rule. Is this still true today? What is the historical relationship that Black Americans have had with US foreign policy on the Vietnam War, Cold War, and apartheid South Africa? We discuss these issues and more on Global Take Podcast. 

In this Hollywood edition of Global Take Podcast, we discuss the challenges of promoting black films overseas and how racism and social media in America impact Black American movie sales and films overseas, especially in Asia. Juanita Ingram discusses the ups and downs of producing the second season of The Expats International Ingrams, sharing stories of black women dating overseas, and promoting black beauty through winning Mrs. Universe 2023. Global Take Podcast Host, Alexanderia Haidara, and Juanita reflect on the obstacles that Black Hollywood Producers face promoting their content in global markets. They dive deep into the fallout over Netflix's Queen Charlotte's true heritage and whether she had African ancestry, why Disney's Little Mermaid tanked in China's movie box office, and why Egyptians could not accept that Queen Cleopatra could be black. Join the conversation at Global Take Podcast! About Juanita Ingram Juanita Ingram, Esq. is breaking down barriers and empowering others as an award-winning attorney, filmmaker, author, fashion philanthropist, and actress. Currently living in Singapore and formerly residing in London and Taiwan, she is also a wife, mother of two, and the newly crowned Mrs. Universe 2022/2023. She is the Founder and CEO of Purpose Productions Inc., a 501(c)3 women-led production company with a mission of creating content that celebrates authentic BIPOC narratives while empowering women and youth through film. Purpose Productions utilizes the visual arts as a vehicle for challenging negative stereotypes and providing cross-cultural experiences for audiences throughout the world. Purpose Productions is also a conduit for sharing a balanced depiction of diverse cultures and powerful under-represented narratives while serving to foster educational and cross-cultural exposure for global audiences. ​On Juneteenth 2021, she launched Purpose Streaming, a streaming platform dedicated to content that inspires, informs, and empowers through BIPOC-centric content. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Tennessee State University and her MBA and Jurist Doctorate degree from the University of Memphis.  She is a US-licensed attorney and a former adjunct professor of Business Law. She is also the founder and Board Chairwoman of Dress for Success Greater London and Dress for Success Chattanooga.

The 2021 Haitian migration crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border stirred many emotions and became a reminder of the unequal treatment of Black migrants by the United States government. In addition, the United States has not had a positive track record in Haiti and has often supported leaders that are the target of antigovernmental protests or not supporting those embraced by the population. In this episode, Alexanderia Haidara sits down with Senior Reporter for the Miami Herald, Jacqueline Charles, to discuss how the history of U.S.-Haitian relations has impacted the current political and security crisis plaguing the country. We discuss the outcome of the investigation of U.S. Border Patrol agents riding on horseback whipping Haitian back across the Rio Grande River. Given the focus of President Biden on immigration, how are his policies being received by those advocates promoting fair treatment of migrants from Haiti and African nations? How will President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau work together to address political insecurity, the rise of gang violence, and kidnappings? What is the role of the Haitian Diaspora in America to influence U.S. policy and local politics? We also reflected on the impact of the January 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on other democracies in Latin America. Please write a review! About Jacqueline Charles, Jacqueline Charles is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award-winning Caribbean correspondent at the Miami Herald. She began her journalism career at the Herald as a 14-year-old high school intern before graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, where she was later honored for her contributions to the field of journalism as a 2022 inductee into the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame. Charles' assignments have taken her throughout the Caribbean as well as Liberia, Kenya, Italy, and in recent years, Mexico, Canada, and Chile to report on the plight of Haitian migrants. She is a founding member of the Carolina Association of Black Journalists, a college-affiliated chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She is also a past president and scholarship chairwoman of the South Florida Black Journalists Association and a longtime assistant director of the University of Miami/Dow Jones High School Journalism Workshop. The first to tell the world that then-Haitian President René Préval had survived the devastating January 12, 2010, earthquake, she spent 18 months living in Haiti as part of the Miami Herald's commitment to have a journalist stationed full time after the tragedy. Charles served as co-producer on the Emmy-winning documentary on Haiti, Nou Bouke (We are Fed Up), which was broadcast in more than 50 PBS markets in the United States. Her numerous other awards include NABJ Journalist of the Year for her Haiti earthquake coverage, and she was a 2011 Pulitzer Prize finalist for that same coverage. She was also recognized for her contributions to the Miami Herald's Panama Papers investigation, which was awarded a 2017 Pulitzer Prize. In 2018, she won the Maria Moors Cabot Award, the oldest prize in journalism and the most prestigious for coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean. Her 2018 Pulitzer Center-supported reporting series, Cancer in Haiti, was the recipient of numerous awards, including the The AACR June L. Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism. Charles is a longtime member of NABJ and currently serves as a member of UNC's Hussman School of Journalism and Media's Board of Advisers. In 2015 she was recognized by UNC as a Distinguished Alumni. Credits: Host, Producer and Editor: Alexanderia Haidara

When the morning news broke to the world that WNBA Star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, it brought the invasion against Ukraine up close and personal to the Black community. The WNBA Star, age 32 at the time, was detained in Russia on February 17, 2022, for allegedly possessing cannabis oil in her luggage after arriving in Moscow from New York City. Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, along with a host of celebrity friends like Lebron James, pressured the Biden Administration to bring Griner back home, adding an international spotlight to her case. On August 4, 2022, she was sentenced to nine years in prison following weeks of a long trial. Black America poured out their frustrations on social media criticizing President Biden's slow efforts to negotiate her release with Russian President, Vladimir Putin as there were concerns of her personal safety given that she was both black and lesbian. Griner's case was even more complicated given that her negotiation was during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More importantly, how would Griner's prisoner swap affect U.S. national security? In this episode, Alexanderia Haidara talks with Dr. Nola Haynes to discuss the implications of Griner's case, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the geopolitical shifts with China. Dr. Nola Haynes ⁠Dr. Nola Haynes⁠ is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is an academic, policy writer, and advocate. Her interests center on emerging threats, WMD in space, strategic competition, and intersectionality. Recently, Dr. Nola was named one of the top 50 leaders in national security and foreign affairs by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Diversity in National Security (DINSN). She is the former Director of the West Coast chapter of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) and sits on several boards, including the Women's Caucus for the International Studies Association communications team (WCIS), Foreign Policy board for the American Political Science Association (APSA), and ISA West. She is a Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) member and an alumnus of the WestExec Advisors mentoring program. As a Pacific Council on International Policy member, Dr. Nola works as an Ops Coordinator to help resettle Afghan allies with Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) and is a policy advocate for the Afghan Adjustment Act. Dr. Nola has over ten years of experience working in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is a proud New Orleans native. Donate and follow Black Professionals in International Affairs at ⁠⁠⁠www.iabpia.org⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠.

President Biden is running for his second term in office, but this time it's not just against former President Donald Trump. Republican presidential hopefuls like Governor Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, and let's not forget about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, are vying for the White House too. Black America will be the deciding vote on the future of U.S. democracy. President Biden boldly boasted that he had Black America's back in his acceptance speech for the presidency. Despite gains in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and the historic achievement of choosing the first woman of color as his Vice President, Kamala Harris, Black Americans are questioning if President Biden deserves another term in office. But how has U.S. foreign policy impacted the African diaspora? In this three-part series, we will evaluate U.S. foreign policy in the three main corners of the Diaspora: Europe, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Alexanderia Haidara, Global Take Podcast Host, talks to Nii Simmonds, Non-resident Fellow of the Atlantic Council, and Dr. Nola Haynes, Georgetown University professor. They discuss how diaspora engagement shapes U.S.-Africa foreign policy, Vice-President Kamala Harris's recent trip to Africa, and reflect on the impact of the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that took place in Washington, D.C. About Nii Simmonds Nii Simmonds is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoTech Center and an expert in emerging and frontier markets. He has held top leadership positions in corporate finance, entrepreneurial ecosystems, supply chains, and research commercialization. Simmonds has previously worked for Fortune 500 firms, including companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech, consumer product, and strategy consulting industries. He also provides thought leadership on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, analyzing their impact on society for innovation and policy while accelerating impactful solutions to challenges. Simmonds has worked for the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation, and African Development Bank, providing consultation in the areas of private-sector development, diaspora engagement, and financial inclusion. Simmonds holds a BS in Management from Pennsylvania State University and he has undertaken graduate courses in operations/business process management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School for Executive Education. Dr. Nola Haynes Dr. Nola Haynes is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. She is an academic, policy writer, and advocate. Her interests center on emerging threats, WMD in space, strategic competition, and intersectionality. Recently, Dr. Nola was named one of the top 50 leaders in national security and foreign affairs by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Diversity in National Security (DINSN). She is the former Director of the West Coast chapter of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) and sits on several boards, including the Women's Caucus for the International Studies Association communications team (WCIS), Foreign Policy board for the American Political Science Association (APSA), and ISA West. She is a Black Professionals in International Affairs (BPIA) member and an alumnus of the WestExec Advisors mentoring program. As a Pacific Council on International Policy member, Dr. Nola works as an Ops Coordinator to help resettle Afghan allies with Evacuate Our Allies (EOA) and is a policy advocate for the Afghan Adjustment Act. Dr. Nola has over ten years of experience working in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is a proud New Orleans native. Donate and follow Black Professionals in International Affairs at ⁠⁠www.iabpia.org⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.

World leaders, business executives, activists, and delegates convene annually to discuss pressing climate change issues at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change better known as COP. From November 6-20, 2022, COP marked its 27th year of negotiations and policy commitments, but this time at the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. COP27 held high-level and side events, key negotiations, and press conferences, hosting more than 100 Heads of State and Governments, over 35,000 participants, and numerous pavilions showcasing climate action around the world and across different sectors. From corruption to famine, from the civil war to failing infrastructure, the urgency to address climate change continues to be on the back burner. Africa is far more likely to suffer the effects of global warming — some of which are already being felt. After years of resistance from rich governments, nations for the first time agreed to set up a fund to provide payouts to developing countries that suffer "loss and damage" from climate-driven storms, floods, droughts, and wildfires. Nevertheless, some electricity-poor nations in Africa argued for their right to develop their natural gas reserves, even as they face increasing climate impacts such as drought. In this episode, Global Take podcast host, Alexanderia Haidara, talks with Mr. Raymond B. Kaniu, founder and CEO of Strahel Composite think tank, on climate finance, climate reparations, and the future of climate change policy with the African Union. Strahl Composite is a start-up international affairs organization that arose from the inherent need to inform both the general public and decision-makers in Africa, and globally.

In this episode, we discuss the impact of climate change on African food production with Enock Chikava, the Interim Director for the Agricultural Development Department at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Global Take Podcast Host, Alexanderia Haidara, spoke with Mr. Chikava on the heels of the 2022 Goalkeepers Summit that took place in New York City on September 20-21, 2022. In 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development to achieve a better world by 2030. Started by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goalkeepers is a catalyst for action toward these goals—bringing together leaders from around the world to make progress toward ending poverty and fighting inequality. Goalkeepers is dedicated to accelerating progress toward the Global Goals: using powerful stories, data, and partnerships to highlight progress achieved, and bring together a diverse range of leaders to address the world’s major challenges. Chikava highlighted the importance of building a robust agricultural economy in Africa, the demand for climate resistance seeds for food production, investing in women's agriculture businesses, and intra-Africa trade as the solution for Africa to become a breadbasket for the world. About Enock Chikava Enock Chikava leads the foundation’s work to reduce poverty for millions of farming families in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia by promoting inclusive agricultural innovations that drive productivity and income growth for smallholder farmers in a sustainable way. He joined the foundation in April 2015 as a senior program officer focusing on crop innovations. Enock trained in Agricultural Economics and Business Strategy, with 30-years’ experience in agriculture. His career spans from farmer organizations, private sector seed industry, agribusiness, food processing, and now philanthropy. Enock Chikava is a board member of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and former president of the African Seed Trade Association (AFSTA). He was raised on a smallholder farm in Zimbabwe in a family of eleven and has dedicated his life to working towards smallholder farmers' success as they use technology to raise productivity, incomes, nutrition, and economically empower themselves. Love the episode? Write a review. Podcast Team Alexanderia Haidara, Host and Podcast Producer Cheryle Galloway-Podcast Op-Ed Writer Sidney Walters-Podcast Social Media Coordinator Oona Nelson-Podcast Editor Follow Black Professionals in International Affairs at ⁠www.iabpia.org⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠Linkedin⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠.

Africa will shape the future — not just the future of the African people, but of the world. These were the exact words quoted from President Joe Biden when he delivered his speech at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit on Dec. 13-15, 2022.  President Biden invited 49 African Heads of State to Washington D.C. along with leaders from civil society, business leaders, women, and youth to discuss U.S.-Africa relations. The agenda included discussions on efforts to strengthen business and trade relations,  war and political instability, COVID-19, and poverty. Africa is a major geopolitical player, especially with other countries like China and Russia courting the continent too.  In this episode, Alexanderia Haidara spoke with Florizelle Liser, CEO and President of the Corporate Council on Africa, to discuss American companies doing business in Africa.   Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) is the leading U.S. business association focused solely on connecting business interests in Africa and co-hosted the U.S.-Africa Business Forum and several special side events at the conference.  Alexanderia also talked to Mark Tatum, COO and Deputy Commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to discuss its expansion on the continent. The Basketball Africa League is Africa's premier men's basketball league. The league consists of twelve teams, each qualified through their domestic competition. NBA Africa is in its 3rd season with teams in Senegal Egypt, and Rwanda to name a few. Given both the criticism of the conference, Alexanderia spoke with the State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson, Vedant Patel to discuss the deliverables, diaspora engagement, and the future of U.S.-Africa policy.  Podcast Team Alexanderia Haidara, Host and Podcast Producer Cheryle Galloway-Podcast Op-Ed Writer Sidney Walters-Podcast Social Media Coordinator Oona Nelson-Podcast Editor Follow Black Professionals in International Affairs at ⁠⁠www.iabpia.org⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Instagram

Climate change is real and politicians can no longer dismiss it as a myth or fake news. Droughts are becoming the norm in Sub-Saharan Africa. Hurricanes and storms are slowly eroding the world's best beaches. Black communities worldwide are the most vulnerable to poor water and sanitation, and pollution, living in the most deplorable living conditions. In this episode of Global Take, Alexanderia Haidara talks with Dr. April Baptiste about the effects of climate change, and how global policies affect Black Caribbean communities. We discuss the effects of environmental racism on black communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Her research centers on the effects of climate change in Caribbean fishers communities, particularly among black Jamaicans. Recently many countries signed the Paris Agreement, which seeks to guide the treatment of climate change by limiting the rise of the global temperature below 2 ̊ Celsius.  Do these international treaties target marginalized black communities in the Caribbean and Latin America? How effective are these treaties when it comes to combating climate change? What about China and its growing influence in the Caribbean? Tune in to Global Take. Bio: Dr. April Baptiste is a professor of environmental studies and Africana and Latin American studies at Colgate University. She loved climbing guava trees with her five siblings as a child, collecting fruits in her backyard, and playing with her mother’s animals as if they were pets. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Baptiste grew up embraced by greenery, faith, and a mother who prioritized hard work and education for her children. She earned her B.S and M.Sc from the University of West Indies in St. Augustine, Trinidad in 2002 and 2004 respectively. She earned her Ph.D. from State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2008. Her research focuses on the intersection of environmental psychological variables and environmental justice issues within the Caribbean region.  Dr. Baptiste’s research projects have examined the relationship between environmental attitudes and concerns toward oil and gas drilling in Trinidad and the relationship between environmental justice and the siting of aluminum smelters. She has been featured on NPR and other international media outlets. Podcast Team Alexanderia Haidara, Host and Podcast Producer Cheryle Galloway-Podcast Op-Ed Writer Sidney Walters-Podcast Social Media Coordinator Follow Black Professionals in International Affairs at www.iabpia.org, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram.