On October 27, 2021, an updated version of the original 2008 exhibition “Dear Mr. Mandela, Dear. Mrs. Parks: Children’s Letters, Global
Lessons” opens at the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, South Africa.
Hundreds of children around the world wrote letters to two individuals—Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Rosa Parks of the United States—who were internationally known for their work in human rights. This exhibition was inspired by those letters.
The exhibition aims to help visitors, young and old, from South Africa, the United States, and around the world to become more aware of the contributions of these two major human rights activists. It also aims to encourage youth to use their words and talents to address current environmental and human rights issues.
The new version of the exhibition was developed by the Nelson Mandela Museum (Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa) in partnership with the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self-Development (Detroit, Michigan, USA) and Michigan State University Museum (East Lansing, Michigan, USA), with a grant from the United States Embassy in South Africa. Additional partners include Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center (Bronx, NYC, USA), Stellenbosch University Museum (Stellenbosch, South Africa), and the Robben Island Museum (Cape Town, South Africa). MSU University Outreach and Engagement also provided some support. This activity was an outgrowth of Ubuntu: Museums and Communities Connect, a bi-national program led by the MSU Museum and the Stellenbosch University Museum, initiated with support from the Alliance for African Partnerships.
Opening celebrations, presided over by Ndaba Mandela and Lungisani Tyali and containing virtual and on-site activities, will take place on October 27, 2021 from 9:00 – 11:30 AM EST.
Please join at: https://msu.zoom.us/j/99071713538