OUR VISION

McDonald C. Homer is a Foreign Service Officer with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) currently serving in Namibia.  “Mac” was born in Newark, New Jersey.  He began his international development career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. Prior to USAID he was the Country Representative for Africare, a non-profit organization, in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. He also worked for the National Center for Appropriate Technology, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the University of Florida. He has a BSc. in plant science from Rutgers University (Cook College), a graduate degree in Agronomy from Iowa State University, and a MSc. Degree from the National Defense University (Eisenhower School) in Strategic Security Studies. He has a doctorate in education (Applied Learning Sciences) from the University of Miami.

Michael is a non-profit executive who has devoted his career to social and economic development. He is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology for the Environment (CREATE!), based in Eugene, Oregon.

Michael’s technical assistance and strategic advice as an executive and consultant have helped transform small businesses, community-led health clinics, schools, and agricultural enterprises in conflict settings and emerging economies. Under Michael’s leadership in Senegal, Africare transformed its development program by spearheading Africare’s successful return to the Casamance region, which was recovering from twenty-five years of civil war. This was accomplished by starting agriculture, natural resource management, and health initiatives. Michael has a certificate in non-profit management from Stanford University’s Social Innovation Review, and a mid-career Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Mr. Clements joined the US Peace Corps shortly after Graduating from Morehouse where he served in the Southern African Country of Swaziland. Mr. Clements Peace Corps experience solidified his life-long comment to African Development. Upon leaving the Peace Corp he returned to his hometown of Detroit and obtained an engineering position with MCI Communications to gain the skills he felt were needed to return to Africa and make a more concrete contribution. Mr. Clements has spent 15 of the last 30 years living and working on the African Continent in various capacities. Over those years, Mr. Clements has:

• Trained technicians at the Zimbabwe Post and Telecommunications Corporation.
• Served as Africare’s Inc. Resident Representative in Zimbabwe.
• Served as Bechtel Corporations Manager of Sustainable Development in Nigeria.
• Managing Director for MER Inc. in Liberia supporting a communications infrastructure project.

Mr. Clements has been involved in other activities in Africa including construction, tourism, exportation, communication, and renewable energy. Mr. Clements served as the assistant program manager at Africare’s headquarters in Washington DC from 1987-1990, and in Zimbabwe as Resident Representative from 1990 to 1994.

Jakarah Porter, the Lucas-Kennedy Foundation 2020-2021 Intern is a graduate of the Charleston School of Law in the U.S. State of South Carolina. Ms. Porter also holds a bachelor degree in business economics and finance from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana; and, she is a licensed mortgage loan originator. Jakarah seized the opportunity to intern with the Lucas-Kennedy Foundation to gain experience in international affairs with a not for profit organization. During her internship, Ms. Porter researched the federal and state requirements for registering non-profit organizations and completed the registration process for the Foundation. Jakarah also researched graphic arts firms and website designers. Ms. Porter plans to pursue a career in real estate and business law with a focus on financial fraud. Her work with the Foundation provided exposure to the possibility of international opportunities in her chosen field. As Jakara leaves the Foundation, she shares the following as key learnings: viable solutions are always possible if you remain positive and work transparently. Cast a wide net to expose young people to careers in international affairs.  

Thomas joined the Foreign Service in 1984. His early postings included service in the US embassies in New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima, Peru. He also served as Executive Secretary of the United States Department of State, Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service, Director of the State Department Operations Center, and Special Assistant to the then-U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

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Dr. Robert J. Jones became chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on September 26, 2016. He previously served as president of the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), and is an experienced and accomplished agricultural scientist and research university leader.

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Adam P. Kennedy is the Founder and President of The Black Experience. The inspiration and passion for this project comes after the passing of his father, Dr. Joseph C. Kennedy, his role model, hero, and best friend. Dr. Kennedy co-founded Africare a nonprofit organization which raised over a billion dollars to help improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.  The Black Experience is a 501(c)(3) with a bold mission. With support from people like you, we are working to create a future where systemic racism no longer exists. The mission of our nonprofit The Black Experience is to present the world with positive images of Black Americans through educational and inspirational video content, changing negative stereotypes into positive perceptions.