On Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, the Community Praise Seventh-day Adventist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, was blessed by a powerful and transformative Black History Month celebration featuring honored guest, Ndaba Mandela. Through an intimate conversation with Claudia M. Allen, attendees were reminded that the legacy of justice, unity, and freedom modeled by his grandfather, Nelson Mandela, comes with responsibility and action.

The celebration was enriched by the uplifting ministry of the CPC Children’s Choir and by a moving spoken-word presentation by MJ Sirls. As a faith community, participants were challenged to move beyond silence and indifference and to boldly live out their calling to stand for justice and love.

In commemorating 100 years of Black history observances, attendees were encouraged not only to remember the past but also to actively shape a more just and unified future. Ndaba Mandela’s closing charge reminded us that each of us carries leadership potential and a divine responsibility to serve our communities with courage and faith.

Adding to the significance of the moment, Mandela was presented with gifts of appreciation from the Potomac Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He was also presented with a proclamation from the City of Alexandria, which declared February 1, 2026, “Mandela Legacy Day.”

This article was originally published in the Potomac Conference e-newsletter: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Potomac-People—–Potomac-Conference-E-Newsletter—–FEBRUARY-2026.html?soid=1138647978998&aid=u2_C6OGtSKA