Mandisa cherishes her African heritage

ASPIRING YOUNG star Mandisa Thomas could not wait to get into her African outfit. She was excited and smiling as her make-up and hairstyle were being done, eager to see the end results. It’s not just about style for this talented beauty from Realise Road, Princes Town. She was actively involved in African dancing and drama throughout her time as a student Barrackpore Secondary and has become well-known for composing and singing calypsos since then, winning numerous prizes for her efforts. To Mandisa, celebrating her African heritage is a way of life.

“I am a descendant of an African slave who went through enormous suffering during his lifetime. I am proud that a day has been set aside to remember the people who came as slaves, because without them there could be no me.” Mandisa will be involved in tomorrow’s Emancipation Day celebrations. She will be attending functions with her family, enjoying the music, food and other arts associated with the celebration. Her biggest concern is that although awareness of Emancipation has increased over the years, many people still don’t get involved in the celebrations. She said, “For some reason I don’t see people actually coming together and doing things to remind the younger folks of the rich cultural heritage of the Africans who came to this country.”

She believes the problem stems from a lack of unity: “I see people just going about their lives, working, doing sports and shopping. People do not unite as they should to deal with the problems of today. And when something happens, they are all amazed at the incidents.” At present Mandisa is working on a project on Nelson Mandela for a vacation class she is involved in. The research she has done so far has helped deepen her commitment to celebrate and support the values and culture passed on from her African ancestors. She said she now has a deeper understanding and appreciation of Mandela and his struggle against apartheid in South Africa. “I knew he was a freedom fighter and is one of the most admired men in the world today but for some reason I didn’t quite understand his struggle until it came as a part of my studies,” she admitted.

She was so touched by what she learned about Mandela’s life and mission that she wrote down one of his famous quotations on the cover of her folder as a reminder of the greatness of the man. The quotation is: “During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Mandisa said she was deeply touched when she found out that the warden in charge of the prisons warned Mandela that unless he started obeying, he might be killed and no one on the mainland would ever be the wiser. Mandela quietly replied, “If you so much as lay a hand on me, I will take you to the highest court in the land, and when I finish with you, you will be as poor as a church mouse.” Amazingly, the warden backed off.

“Any man or institution that tries to rob me of my dignity will lose,” Mandela later wrote in notes smuggled out by friends. Mandisa is now reading everything she can find about Mandela and has been telling her friends about her vacation project, which has become an integral component of her Emancipation Day this year. She gets strong support from her parents, Cindy and Richard Thomas, who continually encourage her to strive for excellence and success.