WARRIOR STILL: Winnie Mandela Honored for Her Fight Against AIDS

Winnie Mandela To many, she's the iconic face of the strong African woman: strong, beautiful, community-oriented.

I am of course, speaking of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the 72-year-old former wife of Nelson Mandela, who has consistently been a fighter for freedom and justice, and more recently against HIV and AIDS.

This Saturday (May 19), the 'Mother of the Nation' comes to Harlem to be honored at the world famous Apollo Theater.

Winnie is an outspoken proponent of abstinence and encourages her countrywomen, especially, to educate themselves about the HIV/AIDS virus.

In rural South Africa, 75% of all people with HIV/AIDS are women. In Africa as a whole, about 59% of adults living with the disease -- 13.2-million people -- are women.

Mandela, Princess Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, of Nigeria, who has adopted many AIDS orphans, Professor Babatunde Osotimehinn, Chairman of Nigeria's National Action Committee on AIDS and Minister Christine Walker, an HIV positive great grandmother and activist, are among those to be honored at the "Beyond the Tears" Award Ceremony for their work with HIV/AIDS.

Save Africa Concerts Foundation joined forces with the Hip-Hop Summit Youth Council to present the "Beyond the Tears Humanitarian Award" event to raise funds for the SACAIDS project.

The Save Africa Concerts Foundation ("SAC") is a non-profit organization that utilizes music, art and entertainment to generate resources and coordinate activities to combat HIV/AIDS in the Sub- Saharan region of Africa, Caribbean and the inner cities of the United States.

More on Save African Concerts Foundation: http://www.sacaids.org/