Amna: Vice president Kamala
Harris is in Africa this week
for a three-country tour focused
on economic development and
security.
Over nine days, she'll meet with
political leaders in Ghana,
Tanzania, and Zambia.
Geoff: Her travel follows other
high-level officials' trips to
the continent, as pressure to
counter Chinese influence in the
region grows.
Laura barron-lopez reports on
the trip's historic and
strategic significance.
Laura: For America's first
black female vice president, a
trip with deep political and
personal meaning.
Kamala Harris placing flowers in
a women's dungeon at the cape
coast castle in Ghana.
And walking through the 'door of
no return', where millions of
Africans were forced in chains
on to ships bound for the
Americas.
>> So being here was --
was immensely powerful.
Moving.
Laura: Speaking off-script about
the brutality of slavery, Harris
challenged growing efforts back
home to censor black history.
Vp. Harris: It cannot be denied,
it must be taught.
History must be learned.
Laura: A solemn moment to
recognize the past during a
visit Harris says is focused on
the future.
Specifically for women and young
people.
Reporter: --Vp. Harris: To
witness firsthand the
extraordinary innovation and
creativity that is occurring on
this continent.
Laura: On the fastest-growing
and youngest continent, Harris
met with young artists at a
skate park and recording studio.
Vp. Harris: Around the globe,
people hear songs that are
moving.
Laura: Joining her were actors
coming together to highlight the
power of music to unite the
African diaspora.
>> I know where my voice be,
lord.
Laura: Harris's trip follows the
African leader summit, held in
Washington last year.
Pres. Biden: The United States
is all in on Africa and all in
with Africa.
Laura: Since then, she is the
fifth high-ranking
administration official to visit
the continent in a sweeping
effort to strengthen
relationships in a part of the
world where Chinese influence
runs deep.
China has poured billions into
infrastructure and development
projects across Africa,
including a $2 billion deal in
Ghana to build roads and
bridges.
On this trip Harris announced
, $100 million in security and
conflict prevention assistance
for the western coast, but said
the goal wasn't to counter
China.
Vp. Harris: This trip is
motivated I the importance of
the direct relationship between
the United States and Ghana.
Laura: And Ghana's president
Nana akufo-addo made clear he
would work with both nations.
>> There may be an obsession in
America about the Chinese
activities over the continent
but there's no such obsession
here.
China is one of the many
countries with whom Ghana is
engaged, your country is one of
them, virtually all the
countries in the world are
friends with Ghana.
Laura: The vice president is
expected to announce additional
investments later this week to
empower women-run businesses,
enhance food security, and
promote climate resiliency.
In Ghana, a model of democracy
in the region, Harris said the
two countries must continually
work to preserve freedom.
The vice president will also
travel to Zambia, a place where
her grandfather lived and where
she spent time as a child.
Geoff: There's so much symbolism
wrapped up in this weeklong
trip.
Multiple audiences, both abroad
and here at home.
What is the white house hoping
to achieve?
Laura: They are hoping the vice
president really uses her
ability to strengthen ties with
Africa, that they talk a lot
about the historical
significance of her going there,
but one personal political thing
that she is also working on
is gaining foreign policy
experience.
She met with more than 100
foreign leaders as vice
president.
This comes after her big trip to
the Munich security conference
and this is showing she is very
much part of the bite reelection
plan.
Geoff: The vice president's
office has been aggressive and
intentional about owning and
trying to reshape public
perceptions of her and how she
is handling the job.
How can we look at the trip in
that context?
Laura: Like president Biden,
vice president Harris has an
uphill climb with the public,
with voters.
It is a recent poll that shows
Harris's approval rating is at
30 6% and her disapproval rating
is at 53% but I spoke to
multiple sources that are close
to Harris and they argued that
she is really key to the
president's reelection, that
Democrats are starting to rally
around her and say the
backbiting needs to stop and
they have really warned other
Democrats that if she were to
somehow be set aside, that there
would be a swift backlash.
For the first year and a half of
the administration, there was a
lot -- there was very little
time spent out on the trail.
Now, Harris has recently
traveled to Tallahassee,
Florida, on abortion rights,
traveled to Iowa.
It was her first trip to the
state this year on abortion
rights, and that is a big issue
for her.
Geoff: The vice president was
not on this trip alone.
She was surrounded by friends,
allies, celebrities had what was
the idea behind that?
Laura: This was the idea.
She wanted all of those
celebrities including spike Lee,
the film director, the president
of the naacp, the president of
the urban league, as well as a
number of hbcu presidents there
with her because they said they
understand that Harris does not
always get all the press they
want her to get, that the vice
president alone may not be able
to create this echo chamber.
They also said that bringing
those people along, they bring
their own resources and
investments to the continent to
really stress the importance of
these ties with Africa that the
administration is focusing on.