Mr. Mandela
Beverly Ann White
1990
Pontiac, Michigan
Cotton, cotton/polyester
43 1/2” x 44 1/4”
MSUM 2003:50.2
Photo by Pearl Yee Wong, all rights reserved Michigan State University Museum

Beverly Ann White’s created her “Mr. Mandela” quilt to honor Nelson Mandela: “My statement quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa.”

White donated her quilts "View from the Mountain Top" and "Nelson Mandela" to the Michigan State University Museum in November 2003. The GLQC/MSU Museum's Michigan African American Quilt Collection includes over thirty-five quilts, as well as documentary materials, which reflect the wide range of individual styles and traditions found with the Michigan African-American quilting community. Quilts from this collection have been featured in Marsha MacDowell, ed., African American Quiltmaking in Michigan (Michigan State University Press, 1997).