Marsai Martin, a 17-year-old actress, entrepreneur, and producer, participates in Mandela Day by helping a young poet, Neveah, overcome her struggles with public speaking. Marsai teams up with Shanelle Gabriel, the executive director of Urban Word, a literary arts organization, to coach Neveah in preparation for a poetry slam in Atlanta. Through their work together, Marsai and Shanelle aim to empower Neveah to find her voice and confidence in speaking up. The story highlights the importance of effective communication, self-expression, and the power of the spoken word, as inspired by Nelson Mandela's legacy.
Here are the facts extracted from the text:
1. Marsai Martin is an award-winning actor, producer, and CEO.
2. Marsai Martin has been invited to take part in Mandela Day.
3. Nelson Mandela was an international icon who fought for freedom, equality, and justice.
4. Nelson Mandela brought an end to Apartheid in South Africa.
5. Mandela Day is celebrated on July 18th, Mandela's birthday.
6. On Mandela Day, people in South Africa participate in an act of service in their community.
7. Marsai Martin's grandfather was the architect behind Mandela Day.
8. Marsai Martin is 17 years old.
9. Marsai Martin started her career at the age of 5.
10. Marsai Martin's biggest breakthrough was the TV show "Black-ish", which she started in 2014 and ran for 8 seasons.
11. Urban Word is a nonprofit organization that has been around since 1999.
12. Urban Word believes in championing, uplifting, and empowering young people to be the authors of their voices.
13. Shanelle Gabriel is the executive director of Urban Word.
14. Nevaeh is a 17-year-old who has written over 200 poems but has never performed them in public.
15. Nevaeh struggles with confidence and public speaking.
16. Marsai Martin is coaching Nevaeh to help her overcome her fears and perform her poetry in public.
17. Nelson Mandela believed in the power of education and the ability to articulate thoughts through the spoken word.
18. Ndaba Mandela is Nelson Mandela's grandson.
19. Femi Nylander is a speaker who talks about Nelson Mandela's legacy.
20. Nevaeh performed her poetry in public for the first time at a venue in downtown Atlanta.