photo by joi pearson photography
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the late Nelson Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi Mandela, served as one of the presenters at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. for the taping of BET Honors. The world has been paying tribute to the departed South African freedom fighter and president ever since his death in December 2013. About an hour before the show began taping, his daughter Zindzi arrived on the BET Honors red carpet. She approached the media on-hand, accompanied by two men who stared blankly in black suits on both ends of her. Perhaps they were both her muscle and moral support.
I was taken aback by Zindzi’s grace and magnetism before we actually spoke. In reflecting on the experience, I was struck by Mandela’s presence and how profoundly eloquent she was in her body language and quiet words. Poised and gracious, her striking resemblance to Nelson Mandela was remarkable and stayed in my thoughts.
Her father was an icon and world-changer who moved mountains socially and politically. But her subdued grace was a reminder that, in spite of Nelson Mandela’s lofty legacy and persona, she is simply a daughter who has just lost her father.
With that in mind, I asked her if she has any pressure or weight on her own shoulders. “No, actually I don’t–because my father was the type of person that always said ‘One should live one’s own legacy,’ [and] ‘we shouldn’t try to be hidden.’” Mandela explained her belief that there is a “special gift” that each and every one of us has. “It’s for us to get to the core of that gift and to share it for the better cause of humanity,” she shared.
“I think its especially now still very fresh,” she said in regards to her father’s passing. “Our having lost him…it’s like, about two months now. And what’s important to us is the fact that people are remembering to keep his legacy alive. That he is not forgotten. And I think that is a great comforter for the family.”
Capping off the brief interview with my condolences to her and the Mandela family felt like the deliverance of eager and empty whispers from a distant fan. In the wake of her father’s death, this one-on-one with Zindzi was a refreshing experience laced with an air of distinction, honor and humility.
BET Honors is set to air on BET Feb. 24, 2014, at 9 p.m. EST.
–eeshe white
