DEARBORN, Mich. – An exhibition featuring the life of the former President of South Africa and activist Nelson Mandela is coming to The Henry Ford, the museum announced on Tuesday.
“Mandela: The Official Exhibition” is an interactive experience featuring previously unseen photos, unseen footage, and over 150 historical artifacts and personal items on loan from the Mandela family and other archives worldwide, officials said. Belongings including Mandela’s beige trench coat, presidential desk, chair, and other items never seen outside of South Africa will be displayed.
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The exhibition will take visitors through different zones, each marking a period in Mandela’s life. Zones include Mandela’s beginnings in the rural Transkei, his 27 years as a political prisoner while struggling against the apartheid, his term as South Africa’s first Black president, and his death.
“The Royal House of Mandela is delighted to endorse this exhibition honoring the life and legacy of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela as it truly captures the spirit of our global icon whose name has become synonymous with international solidarity, justice and peace,” his grandson Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela said. “It succeeds in quintessentially depicting the man and the legend whose struggle and sacrifice has captivated the hearts and minds of millions around the world. This exhibition is truly an inspiration and an inspired effort; I believe that everyone who sees it will agree that the legacy lives on and that the dream will never die.”
The Henry Ford is the first museum in Michigan to host the exhibition. Michiganders will be able to visit the exhibition from Oct. 21 to Jan. 15, 2024.