Pan-African Center for Transformation
Mobilizing our community with a collective vision, purpose, and action to promote cooperation and the economic amelioration of all people of African descent worldwide.
“I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.”
— Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
“There is beauty and power in unity. We must be united in heart and mind. One world, one people.”
— Lailah Gifty Akita
AFRO-PACT Co-Founders
Crystal Bryant-Agyemang
Co-Founder
Crystal Bryant-Agyemang, Esq. is an accomplished attorney, strategist, and equity leader based in Cleveland, OH. With a dual background in law and social work she has built a career at the intersection of operations, strategy and community impact. Crystal has held senior leadership roles including the Executive Director of the Cleveland NAACP and Director of the Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry, where she led large-scale initiatives focused on organizational effectiveness, cross-sector partnerships and economic empowerment.
A committed social entrepreneur, Crystal co-founded Cleveland Votes, a civic engagement organization that has operated for 10 years. More recently, she co-founded the Pan African Center for Transformation, which centers its work through seven pillars and advances a mission to create economic amelioration for the global African diaspora.
In her full-time capacity at a large size bank, she advances business impact by strengthening financial literacy, small business growth and workforce development pipelines. Crystal excels at aligning mission driven initiatives with corporate priorities to create measurable outcomes.
Kwame Botchway
Co-Founder (In Memoriam)
A native of Ghana, Kwame came to Cleveland to study at Case Western Reserve University. He supported many projects and endeavors and spoke frequently as an international leader here in Cleveland. He helped advise us on what it was like being an International Newcomer and how we could all make the ride smoother and less steep for fellow International Newcomers and international students.
Kwame’s work on community and economic development in cities captured the attention of the globe. He spoke at the Davos World Economic Forum, one of only 50 people from around the world and one of four from the US to participate. He was a force for good in lifting the voices of young leaders, of Black leaders, and of seeing truly seeing the African International Newcomer community here in northeast Ohio for the blessing it is and teaching us what a welcoming community looks like.
Kwame was a source of life and light. His superpowers came from his brilliant analytical mind and the way he worked to improve conditions in Cleveland for all Clevelanders. His superpowers came from his heart; he showed up, he cared, and he lifted as he rose. What a blessing we have been given to know him and see him and experience his energy, even if it was too short – too painfully short for those lucky enough to call him friend and brother.
Kwame lived in a way that directs us to do the work of building this city and region by welcoming the world. We pick up where he left off, and our work is a tribute to him. (global Cleveland)