Howard University Celebrates Mandela

The Howard University Jazztet performed as the opening act of "A Musical Tribute to Mandela." (Courtesy Photo/Howard University)

Howard University presented “A Mandela Day” Symposium on Feb. 11. The event, held in the Browsing Room of Founders Library, celebrated the day the late South African president was released from prison on Robben Island in 1990.
The event culminated with a 7 p.m. jazz concert featuring trumpeter Hugh Masekela and pianist Larry Willis at Howard’s Cramton Auditorium. Also performing were the Howard University Jazztet with Fred Irby, vocalist Akua Allrich and Afro Blue.
Both the concert and the symposium were free and open to the public.
Howard is celebrating Mandela, who died in December, in a year-long event. An acclaimed multimedia exhibition – Nelson Mandela: Character, Comrade, Leader, Prisoner, Negotiator, Statesman – is on display at Howard’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center through April 27.