It’s a major new touring exhibition making stops around the world, Mandela: The Official Exhibition making it visit starting this weekend at The Henry Ford Museum.
Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, President Detroit Branch NAACP and Pastor, Fellowship Chapel, was one of the first people to visit Nelson Mandela in his South Africa home following his release from prison and was instrumental in organizing President Mandela’s 1990 Detroit visit.
Just days before the public opening, he and his wife, First Lady Monica G. Anthony toured the exhibit, living through some Mr. Mandela’s history as the exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the life of the world’s most iconic freedom fighter and political leader.
Rev. Anthony recalls his visit to South Africa to meet Mr. Mandela along with two other ministers during Coleman A. Young’s time as Mayor, with a mission to officially invite the iconic leader to Detroit.
“It was a tremendous trip,” says Rev. Anthony as he recounted his visit to Mr. Mandela. “I can remember seeing him as such a statesman, …and I remember thinking to myself, Nelson Mandela, I’ve marched about him, I got arrested for him, read about him, what am I going to say? I’m from Detroit, what can I say to a man who is bigger than life? My hero!”
From the backside of his home “comes Nelson Mandela, tall with a gray pinstriped suit, blue tie, collard blue shirt and he comes out and says, thank you, thank you for coming to my home,” Rev. Anthony recalls.
“But, I replied and said, Mr. Mandela, please don’t say anymore. It’s not for you to thank me, because I ain’t done nothing, you have lifted up people from all over the world, particularly Black people, you are the icon.”
“What people can expect is really an incredible immersive experience,” Cynthia Jones, Director of Museum Exhibitions Experiences and Engagement. “Understanding where Nelson Mandela came from, understanding his childhood, how did he become the person he was, really getting an understanding of the experience of being jailed for as long as he was …all sorts of pieces from his time emerging from the imprisonment and being elected as the president.”
The exhibition will also include a jail cell made out of light, guests will be able to pass through it freely but one can also go inside of it and mentally think about what it would be like to be in such a small space.
The exhibition also hopes to capture what his on-going legacy means that will have guests walking away thinking how can one pledge to be more like Mandela and will take action in certain ways.
As Rev. Anthony and Mrs. Anthony were on the tour, she couldn’t help but recall the historic opportunity to be a part of the choir lead by Bishop Edgar Vann during Mr. Mandela’s historic visit to Detroit at the old Tiger stadium.
“It was a thousand voice choir and me being this wonderful alto, we sang the South African national anthem, and when you sing that as I’ve done so for many people who are from South Africa, they are so emotional and moved,” First lady Anthony says. “We were so excited that day. I remember standing in line in our white and Black, I still have a my sash that we wore. It was an affectionate connection that we loved and just something we’ll never forget.”
The exhibition features unseen footage, photos and the display of more than 150 historical artifacts and personal effects on loan from the Mandela family, museums and archives worldwide.
Mandela: The Official Exhibition is designed to educate, entertain and inspire using many personal belongings and objects never previously seen outside of South Africa.
“One of the interesting things about doing exhibitions that are about 20th and 21st century leaders is there’s a lot of video and tremendous amount of photography which is very powerful some of which is very difficult because these are times in which South Africa was really on the verge of a civil war.” Jones says.
The experience will also include 3D artifacts, including the suit worn for the opening of the South African parliament in 1996, his presidential desk and chair and his much loved iconic beige trench coat, combined with re-creations to allow visitors to actively engage in key moments in Nelson Mandela’s life.
“It’s really about bringing something in for our community to experience,” Jones says. “I think there something to hosting it in The Henry Ford Museum. What I think will be interesting for people is to make connections across the entire museum. For what you experienced at Mandela, you can then go get that deep dive in the Liberty & Justice for All exhibition and think about it from our own American history.”
Through a series of engaging zones, each one a dramatically different experience, the narrative of the exhibit will take one on a n incredible journey through a remarkable life.
“It’s a once in a lifetime experience,” Rev. Anthony recalls about his trip to South Africa meeting Mr. Mandela and encourages young people and families to make a visit to the museum.
“We should not forget to remember and it’s up to us to help those who come behind us to remember. For young people who are studying history, we can see ahead because we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.”
“Black Lives Matter, if you’re into that movement, well Nelson Mandela was all about Black lives mattering before we talked about that.”
After a lifetime of service to others, Mr. Mandela’s legacy and the impact of his values and commitment will be reflected in what is an unprecedented showcase of his life and the challenges he faced that will provide fresh perspective and insight.
Mandela was lawyer, revolutionary world leader, political prisoner and an elder statesman, but also the symbol of the struggle against oppression. Mandela has resented himself as a lot of these things to people all around the world and all generations will be able to see his lived experience and life up close.
The exhibition is being produced by Round Room Live in partnership with The Royal House of Mandela (RHoM) and RHoM Investments.
The exhibition is now open to the public and runs until January 15th, 2024.
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