Mazrui’s Interactions with Others

Abstract

Ali Mazrui loved not only to write, and write about fairly everything, but he was also good at keeping the written record of what, as he would put it, occurred to his mind, his being. Based mostly on his own writings, both published and unpublished, this chapter describes Mazrui’s interactions with some key individuals, historical figures, and dignitaries, ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Nelson Mandela and from Carl Sagan to Mario Cuomo, and includes what Mazrui had to say about (his interactions with some of) these individuals. This chapter also includes what others have said about him.

The African leader who influenced me most positively was Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, although I met him face-to-face only a couple of times. I had far less personal contact with him than I have had with at least a dozen other African leaders.

—Ali Mazrui (2008: 2)