*The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation and Primary Wave Music will present the 3rd Annual Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation Gala on Friday, August 9th, 2024, at the St. Regis Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, which marks the 30th anniversary of Whitney Houston’s three historic post-apartheid visits and performances following Nelson Mandela’s historic election win as the then President of the new South Africa.
Whitney was the first major recording artist to perform in the newly unified, post-apartheid nation. She performed at Kings Park Stadium in Durban (November 8, 1994), Ellis Park Stadium also known as Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg (November 12, 1994), which was filmed for the HBO Special, and the final performance was held at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town (November 19, 1994).
Four-time Grammy Award-winning recording artist Yolanda Adams will be the headlining performer at this year’s gala, with a special performance by Gary Houston, Whitney’s brother and longtime duet partner and background singer, along with more surprises. The event will be hosted by Kevin Frazier of Entertainment Tonight and Pat Houston, president of the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation. The Honorary Chair is Clive Davis, the legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment.
Also performing are Gregory Sams and Denisia, the recent winners of The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation’s Cover Song Competition. The charity grant will be presented to Mirriam Solani Mazibuko, the director of the Orlando Children’s Home in South Africa, which is one of the organizations to which Whitney extended a generous financial donation through her foundation thirty years ago.
Last month, Pat Houston and team members of the Foundation traveled to South Africa to a few of the places that Whitney visited in November 1994 including the Orlando Children’s Home to spend time with the young residents there, where they prepared a presentation and performed a song.
Also, during that time thirty years ago, Whitney initially planted a tree at the Nelson Mandela home, which is now named the Nelson Mandela Museum. “Our trip to South Africa a few weeks ago was very fulfilling and emotional,” says Pat Houston. “A few of us haven’t been back to South Africa since 1994. Whitney would be proud to know that the Orlando Children’s Home is still there and serving a vital purpose in the community. She would also be pleased about some of the substantial growth in the country in many areas. And she would be delighted to know that the tree she planted at the Nelson Mandela Museum is beautiful and still flourishing, and is in a safe place, surrounded by love.”
The annual fundraiser, which is held on August 9th to commemorate and celebrate Whitney’s birthday, includes scholarships that will be presented to students studying the arts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); both a silent and online auction on Charity Buzz featuring a variety of one-of-a-kind curated items and packages including original and limited-edition artwork by both South African and American artists; five-star luxury vacation excursions, opening night tickets to the U.S. Open, and much more.
In 2020, The Estate of Whitney E. Houston formed The Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation to continue the mission and important work by the late global superstar, whose lifelong commitment to today’s youth through program initiatives and services that reflect the values and needs of our young people. The Foundation also serves as a source of empowerment to help rebuild, repair, and restore the self-esteem of our youth and assist them in living productive lives.
Whitney Houston’s global charitable work was initially established in 1989 as the Whitney Houston Foundation for Children, the organization provided much-needed resources to homeless children, build inner city parks and playgrounds, and provided college scholarships. Known for its world-renowned charitable initiatives and partnerships, the Foundation partnered with the Children’s Defense Fund, Childhood Diabetes, The Rain Forest Foundation, Hale House, Special Olympics, United Negro College Fund, St. Jude Children’s Research, and Whitney’s historic South Africa concerts, which a portion of the proceeds benefited local South African children’s charities.
In 1997, Houston’s elementary school was renamed The Whitney E. Houston Academy for Performing & Creative Arts. Originally opened in 1873, the Franklin School, is now the oldest building in the East Orange, New Jersey school district.
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