President Joe Biden visited Angola to promote U.S. investments in a major rail project and strengthen relations. He toured the National Slavery Museum, reflecting on the historical legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and emphasized Africa's crucial role in the world’s future. Biden also addressed America's failure to fully live up to its ideals of freedom and equality.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden visited a slavery museum in Angola, where he reflected on the dark legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, describing it as "our nation's original sin." During the visit, he inspected shackles and a whip, symbols of the brutal past, while also speaking about Africa's role in shaping the future. Biden emphasized that by 2050, Africa will be home to one in four people, and he believes the world’s future rests on the continent's success.

This visit marks the first time a U.S. president has toured Angola and is part of an effort to solidify relations with the sub-Saharan African nation. Biden's trip highlights commitments to Angola, including billions of dollars in investments for what he called the largest-ever U.S. rail project overseas. “The United States is all in on Africa," Biden stated earlier on Tuesday, during talks with Angolan President João Lourenço, who described the visit as a pivotal moment in U.S.-Angola relations that date back to the Cold War era.

On Wednesday, Biden is set to visit Lobito, a coastal city, to observe the rail corridor's Atlantic Ocean outlet. This project, which has garnered financing from the European Union, the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations, a Western-led private consortium, and African banks, represents significant international cooperation.

While it remains unclear how much of the U.S. financial commitments have already been delivered or how much will rely on the policies of the Trump administration, Biden’s visit underscores the growing importance of Africa in U.S. foreign policy.

Biden had initially promised a visit to sub-Saharan Africa after revitalizing the U.S.-Africa Summit in 2022, but the trip was delayed until this year. The delay has contributed to a sense among some Africans that their continent remains a lower priority for Washington. The most recent visit to sub-Saharan Africa by a U.S. president was in 2015 when Barack Obama visited the region.

Biden also visited Angola's National Slavery Museum, located at the former site of the Capela da Casa Grande, a 17th-century temple where enslaved people were baptized before being sent to the Americas. The White House noted that Angola served as a departure point for approximately 6 million enslaved individuals.

As he reflected on the historical significance of the visit, Biden said, “I know the future runs through Angola, through Africa.” Speaking by the water, he acknowledged that history must not be erased. He reiterated that while the United States was founded on the ideals of freedom and equality, “it’s abundantly clear today we have not lived up to that ideal.”