Last night, my wife, Chaitra, and I were guests of the President and First Lady at the White House State Dinner honoring Kenyan President William Ruto.
The dinner, held at the White House, was the first state dinner held by a U.S. president for an African head of state in over thirty years. It commemorated the 60th anniversary of formal diplomatic ties with Kenya. Both President Biden and President Ruto affirmed their nations’ commitments to strengthening their ties and looked forward to continued and future collaborations.
In addition to President Biden, they joined former presidents Clinton and Obama, HOPE partners including Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, Senator Raphael Warnock, and Mayor Andre Dickens, along with friends of HOPE including Vice President Harris, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Rev. Al Sharpton, National Urban League CEO Marc Morial, Sean Penn, LeVar Burton and White House Correspondent April Ryan.
It was an unforgettable evening and a testament to how far the message of HOPE has traveled.
