Celebrations will commemorate the life of Nelson Mandela this weekend across the Piedmont. The former South African President died last week at the age of 95.
Deborah Blackman is President of the South African Tarheels, one of the groups coordinating the memorials. She says the respect Mandela earned as a prisoner and as a political leader still resonates across the world.
“As South Africans living in this country, we all love Mandela. And it's just a tribute to his memory,” Blackman said. “We will have some African drummers there follow a short Catholic service and then have members of our community speak about Mr. Mandela and just remember him, and pay him the tribute he deserves.”
That service will happen tonight at 7 at Raleigh's Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. It's open to the public. A similar event will take place tomorrow at noon in Greensboro.
Governor Pat McCrory and North Carolina NAACP President William Barber have been invited to speak at a statewide tribute in Raleigh tomorrow afternoon at 2. That program will be held at the First Baptist Church on South Wilmington Street.