Live from the Reading Room: Nelson Mandela to Niki Iris Xaba

Live from the Reading Room: Correspondence is a podcast series that aims to share interesting and engaging letters written by or to key historical figures from the African Diaspora.

Each episode highlights a letter from popular collections housed in the Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library.

This episode features a letter from South Africa’s former president and anti apartheid revolutionary, Nelson Mandela, to his sister-in-law , Niki Iris Xaba.

This correspondence is recited by Oscar award winning rapper and actor Common. Common’s latest album, “Black America Again”, is now available on iTunes.