About the Program:
This event hosted by BESLA board members:  Joseph K West, Adrienne Williams, Allison Hobbs, and Darrell Thompson, will feature two panels focused on the African Diaspora. The emphasis will be on the connections between the diaspora in the U.S. and the U.K. in sports, fashion, retail, media and entertainment realms, and will provide exceptional business development and branding opportunities that will strengthen ties across subject matter and geographic barriers.
 

Why London, Why Now

The idea for a BESLA international expansion gained real momentum in 2024, when the panel The Diaspora Means Business was introduced at the BESLA Annual Conference in Mexico. What was originally scheduled as a 45-minute discussion quickly evolved into a two-hour conversation between the stage and the audience, driven by the depth of interest and passion in the room for reconnecting the African diaspora globally, particularly with the African continent. The energy and engagement around that session became a clear flashpoint for the organisation, highlighting the appetite for deeper cross Atlantic dialogue and collaboration and prompting serious consideration of BESLA’s role as a truly global platform.

 

At the same time, the global influence of the African and African-diaspora community across entertainment, sport, fashion, media, and business continues to grow at an extraordinary pace. Connections between African Americans and Africans across the diaspora, including in the United Kingdom, are strengthening in new and powerful ways. In response, BESLA is launching a London chapter to help facilitate these connections, convene leaders across industries, and create meaningful opportunities for professional development, business collaboration, and cultural exchange between the United States, the United Kingdom, and the African continent.