Nelson Mandela South Africa

The Acacia Tree

The late Nelson Mandela was one of the most important figures of the 20th Century. After spending 27 years as a political prisoner, he rose to become the leader of his native South Africa and an influential voice in the movement to end apartheid. Mandela passed away in 2013, but his legacy has lived on as a symbol of liberation and dignity. We published a feature on what would have been Mandela’s 100th birthday about a special collection of his art that was to be shown for the very first time. Titled “The Struggle,” this series of drawings captured the memories of his 27 years in prison. His daughter, Makaziwe Mandela-Amuah, spoke to us for the feature and explained how her father came to embrace art in his later years.