Tag Archives: Nelson Mandela



 Dreams of a Life by Carol Morley

Why did it take three years for Joyce Vincent's family and friends to notice she had died?

Joyce Vincent was 38 years old when she died in December 2003. Not a single human being noticed that she was gone until January 2006. It was only after bailiffs broke into her London flat to collect years of unpaid … Continue reading

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Bringing the Spirit Home in Xhosa Burial Rituals

How the funeral rites of the Xhosa people of South Africa can transform a spirit into an ancestral guide

For most people, the culture, traditions, and even the existence of the Xhosa people would have remained unknown were it not for the death of anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Although the world will mourn his loss for years to come, with … Continue reading

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Looking Back: Celebrity Deaths of 2013

From Roger Ebert to Nelson Mandela, 2013 saw a wide range of celebrity deaths

2013 brought us no shortage of social, technological and medical triumphs: we welcomed a Pope with modern plans, functionally cured a baby of HIV and watched California commit itself to environmental health via cap-and-trade. But 2013 also saw its fair share … Continue reading

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He did What? Barack Obama’s Funeral Selfie

A recent image has us wondering: did Obama really take a selfie at the funeral of Nelson Mandela?

Last Thursday, we said a bittersweet farewell to anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela. The South African leader’s funeral was packed to the brim with admirers and friends from all corners of the globe, including our own President Obama. And as a … Continue reading

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