The young members of the Atlanta Drum Academy found themselves performing on an unusual stage Monday morning for some of the state’s top Democrats and a high-profile international visitor.
Outfitted in the group’s iconic red and white uniforms, the school-age percussionists lined up under the wing of a plane at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to greet Kenyan President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto.
The drum line didn’t come alone. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens along with U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams met the international dignitary who specifically requested the Atlanta visit.
Ruto was already scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, becoming the first African leader to visit the White House during his administration and celebrate 60 years of U.S.-Kenya diplomatic relations.
But first, Ruto stopped by influential institutions like The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Spelman College, while also visiting some of Atlanta’s titans of industry like Tyler Perry Studios.
Part of the mayor’s job is to uphold the city’s international status and foster relationships with world leaders. The visit gave Dickens and city officials the unique opportunity to tout Atlanta’s accomplishments, rich civil rights history and booming business community.
“Atlanta is in such a unique position right now for growth,” said Paulina Guzman, director of the mayor’s Office of International and Immigrant Affairs. “And I think the world is taking notice.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
‘The gateway to Africa’
In 2023, Dickens traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and returned to Atlanta on the inaugural direct flight through Ethiopian Airlines. With that journey, the airline became the second carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson to offer direct flights between African cities and Atlanta.
The increased access to the continent falls in line with Biden’s ongoing efforts to strengthen both economic and security ties with that portion of the world.
“Atlanta is uniquely positioned to be the gateway to Africa,” Guzman said. “The United States is really pivoting toward Africa and really trying to find a way to better align with a continent in the areas of international business and economic development.”
During his trip this week, the Kenyan president visited Coca-Cola Company headquarters to celebrate a $175 million investment from the brand over the next five years that will ramp up its’ operations in the African country.
“For a moment I thought Coca-Cola was a Kenyan company,” Ruto said, noting that the company employees thousands of locals. “Today, we must sustain our engagement and collaboration to enable us to face the challenges and seize opportunities together as partners.”
Such visits aren’t only in the interest of business. They also connect foreign dignitaries with immigrants living in Georgia.
The city is home to a large African diaspora, Guzman said. Atlanta has the fourth largest Black immigrant population in the U.S. and the southern region has the largest group of African born immigrants.
During Dickens remarks at a swanky private event Tuesday night, he gave a nod to African immigrants living in the Peach State.
“Here in Atlanta, we celebrate all of the global cultures that continue to influence us,” he said. “That includes the thousands of Kenyans who call the Metro area home now. The contributions of these immigrants have helped shape the fabric of Atlanta communities.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
The history of Atlanta as the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement played a significant role in Ruto’s visit.
While at The King Center, the president and first lady joined Bernice King in laying a wreath on the marble crypt of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. Afterward, King talked about her father’s life and principles of nonviolent resistance.
“We are hoping that we can work together to spread this important teaching throughout our world,” she said alongside Ruto. “If there’s anything we desperately need now, we need Dr. King’s nonviolence.”
Kenyan journalists documenting the visit also showed Ruto at Tyler Perry Studios — accompanied by television host Steve Harvey — and celebrating Kenyan brand Vivo Fashion Group for opening its first store in Midtown.
The mayor’s growing role in international relations
Rickey Bevington is the president of the World Affairs Council of Atlanta — a nonprofit, civic organization focused on Atlanta’s engagement with the international sphere. She said that Georgia’s capital city is uniquely positioned as a leader in a variety of different areas.
And with the FIFA World Cup coming to Atlanta in 2026, the city’s portfolio is set to expand even more.
“Atlanta has this kind of triple threat of being a public health hub, a humanitarian hub and a business hub,” Bevington said. “Now in the next two years we’re going to tack on sports. We’re now going to be a quadruple threat.”
Before Dickens comes face-to-face with foreign dignitaries, he has to do one important thing: study.
The office of international affairs puts together a meticulous guidebook for the mayor that contains facts and figures about the dignitary’s country, names powerful leaders, gives a rundown of current events and lays out how he should act — from how to say hello to gift suggestions.
Guzman, with the international affairs office, said the mayor and senior staff are put through workshops to get them up to speed.
“We want to ensure that we’re respecting the country’s customs and traditions,” she said.
Traditionally, the cultivation of international relationships has been done at the federal level, said Bevington. The partnership between the United States and Kenya goes back to the 1960s.
But that’s beginning to change.
“Increasingly, especially in a modern world,” Bevington said. “It’s those subnational relationships — and by that I mean governors, mayors and down — where a lot of economic development relationships are forging, political relationships are forging and personal relationships are forging and that’s evermore important.”
During his first term, the mayor has traveled to places like London and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and hosted prominent leaders like Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium. Next month, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are scheduled to visit Atlanta.
Bevington said Atlanta faces many of the same issues as other countries.
“We don’t need to solve all of our problems in a bubble, we can be looking to what’s going on elsewhere in the world,” she said. “We also can follow in other people’s example of how they’ve done it right. We can learn from their mistakes, and we can also copy best practices.”
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