Barack Obama’s visit to Kenya has provoked some productive soul-searchingamong the citizens of Africa’s greatest under-achiever. Obama, the only black U.S. Sentator, is the son of a Kenyan economist who’s never lived in Africa. His frank talk, coupled with his efforts to deepen connections to people with a shared heritage, provides a model for a different kind of foreign assistance to Africa.
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Aids continues to dominate media attention of Africa, as illustrated by a front page story in the Aug. 29 issue of the New York Times, which centers on Bill Clinton’s effective efforts to reduce the costs of HIV/AIDS drugs.