As the NBA continues to develop its interest in Africa, the league announced that “The Godfather of Harlem” star Forest Whitaker joined NBA Africa as a strategic investor.
“I’m thrilled to become a strategic investor in NBA Africa as it plans to grow basketball’s presence across the continent,” said Whitaker in a statement.
The Whitaker Touch
Whitaker is an American actor, producer, director, humanitarian and activist. He also is a Golden Globe, British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards winner.
He also won a 2006 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of former Uganda president Idi Amin in the British historical drama “The Last King of Scotland.”
“The game of basketball is incredibly inspirational, and my decade working in Africa has shown me how sports can be a transformative method of helping to foster peace, as well as an economic engine for socioeconomic development in areas of conflict. I deeply believe in the league’s commitment to youth empowerment and am so excited to work alongside the NBA Africa family.”
NBA Recruits The Actor-Activist
For Whitaker, it is an extension of his activism, especially on the continent of Africa. For the NBA, it is a continuation of the league’s all-star line-up of supporters, such as former President Barack Obama, who joined NBA Africa in July as a strategic partner.
Whitaker is the CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote the values of peace, reconciliation and social development within communities that have been impacted by conflict and violence.
Through WPDI, Whitaker has developed the Youth Peacemaker Network, a global peacebuilding network with hubs in South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Mexico and the U.S., which will soon expand to the Democratic Republic of Congo and France.
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