Swati Mandela, granddaughter of civil rights icon Nelson Mandela, will give a speech Thursday at the concert hall of the Dolores Dore Eccles Fine Arts Center.
The event will take place at 5 p.m. and admission is free. The second event on Thursday, a meet and greet and banquet, will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Zion Room in the Holland Centennial Commons. Tickets are $50.
Jyl Hall, DSU public relations director, said the even will be held in honor of Black History Month.
“We are really excited and honored to welcome Swati Dlamini Mandela on the campus,” Hall said. “She has a really rich history fighting for equal rights for everyone, so we’re really thrilled to offer this opportunity to the St. George community and students so they can learn from her.”
Swati Mandela’s appearance would provide a unique opportunity for everyone to not only celebrate Black History Month, but to examine cultural differences and analyze our own perceptions of civic responsibility, Hall said, adding that the event went along with DSU’s goal to promote diversity.
According to a press release from DSU, discrimination is something the entire Mandela family is dedicated to combating. Swati Mandela will address her own efforts to address inequality. She is the founding partner and managing director for Qunu Workforce, a consulting firm tasked with creating equality in the workplace for those with disabilities. She is also the co-author of the book “491 Days”. The book is a biography of the life of her grandmother, Winnie Mandela.
In the press release, Daneka Souberbielle, director of the DSU Multicultural & Inclusion Center, said: “We are honored to have such an important international figure as Swati Dlamini Mandela come speak to the Dixie State University community,” said. “The opportunity to hear firsthand about her family’s work in building community across South Africa and the world is extraordinary and richly adds to the active learning experience at DSU. We look forward to expanding our understanding of inclusion outside our national boarders (sic) and utilizing that knowledge to strengthen our community in Washington County.”
The event is co-sponsored by the DSU Multicultural & Inclusion Center along with the Office of the President.
