A short four months after being released from prison in South Africa, Nelson Mandela came to Los Angeles and spoke at a rally for freedom at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The event was sold out, attracting more than 70,000 viewers who came to listen to him speak of the suffering of South Africa’s Black majority. Musicians performed at the event, including Ice T, Babylon Warriors, Tone Loc and Kris Kristofferson among others.
As a well-known activist in the anti-apartheid movement, Mandela led the way to the end of apartheid, stopping racial division and advocating for human rights. After 27 years of imprisonment, his speech at the Coliseum was a key destination on his first trip to the United States featuring eight cities in 12 days.