Shared Interest News

Shared Interest’s sixth annual awards dinner honored W. Frank Fountain, Jennifer Davis and Albertina Sisulu on March 6, in New York City. The three leaders personify partnerships between the communities and businesses across the U.S. and South Africa’s communities that are making a reality of their dreams for a better life.

W. Frank Fountain, Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Public Policy (Auburn Hills) and President of the Daimler Chrysler Corporation Fund, has been a powerful force for corporate responsibility in South Africa as well as a leading advocate at home for U.S. investment in Africa.

Mr. Fountain accepted his awardfrom New York Consul General Fikile Magubane, on behalf of South African Ambassador Barbara Masekela. Mr. Fountain congratulated Shared Interest for helping to initiate changes “that have provided better housing, created jobs, launched small businesses and built a better future for South Africa.” He concluded by quoting Nelson Mandela: “’After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb,’” and added: “An honor such as this one reinvigorates me and my colleagues to conquer the next hill in South Africa’s efforts to achieve economic opportunity for all.”

The second half of the program celebrated the 50th anniversary year of South African Women’s Day, which commemorates the 1956 march on the government buildings in Pretoria by 20,000 South African women protesting the application of the pass laws to African women. South African Ambassador to the United Nations, H.E. Dumisani Kumalo, honored Jennifer Davis, former Africa Fund and American Committee on Africa executive director, noting, “Jennifer has always been a freedom fighter who remains passionate about justice and equality…It didn’t matter whether it was Mississippi or Mozambique, Selma or Soweto. An injustice anywhere was an injustice to all.”

Ms. Davis described the links between people campaigning for racial, political and economic justice in the U.S. and South Africa – citing the parallels between South African shack dwellers working to build new houses and New Orleans residents struggling to regain their homes after Hurricane Katrina. “This work is not charity,” she said. “It is solidarity.”

Acclaimed artist and activist Harry Belafonte spoke with emotion about Albertina Sisulu – renowned ANC and women’s leader and wife of Walter Sisulu, revered in South Africa as MaSisulu – Mother of the Nation. Author and activist Elinor Sisulu and former South African Ambassador Sheila Sisulu accepted the award on behalf of their mother-in-law. They characterized the honor as “a major commemoration that Albertina would like to dedicate to all the young women of South Africa.”