Nelson Mandela’s Historic Visit to Seattle: Honoring Activism and Inspiring Change

MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.19991208.1.14, photo by Grant M. Haller

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013) became South Africa’s first Black president in 1994, in the country’s first fully democratic election. His election came after a long struggle against the apartheid system of racial segregation in South Africa, in which Mandela played a key role—despite being imprisoned for 27 years.

Mandela and Machel arrived in Seattle on December 8, 1999. In this image, Mandela speaks to the audience during a welcome ceremony in a hangar at Boeing Field.

MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.19991208.1.23, photo by Grant M. Haller

The crowd at the December 8 welcome ceremony included hundreds of Seattle school children along with members of Coast Salish tribes. In this photo, Dustin Williams, a descendant of Suquamish and Duwamish chief Si’ahl (Chief Seattle), holds a traditional Talking Stick. The Talking Stick was designed for the occasion by Charles Elliott, a Coast Salish artist from the T’sartlip First Nation of Southern Vancouver Island, and Dustin presented it to Mandela during the ceremony.

MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.19991208.CD01.001, photo by Mike Urban

Later that same day, Mandela and Machel visited the Central Area and Madrona Elementary School to meet members of the community. This image shows Nelson Mandela laughing with 12-year-old student Dennis Leclech. Mandela also spoke with business owners and community members in the historically Black neighborhood.

MOHAI, Seattle Post-Intelligencer Collection, 2000.107.19991209.3.32, photo by Paul Joseph Brown

On day two of their visit, Mandela spoke at a forum on global health at the University of Washington Medical Center. In this photograph, Mandela shakes hands with Bill Gates during the forum. Gates made donations to Mandela and Machel’s foundations, and Mandela praised the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in improving health care especially for children in developing countries.

Before they left on December 10, Mandela and Machel’s whirlwind visit also included an address to students at Seattle University, a concert at Benaroya Hall (part of which Mandela conducted), and visits with other area philanthropists.