Mtetwa is the first woman and the first non-Georgian to receive the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize – named in honor of the city’s enlightened mayor during the 1960s – which comes with a $100,000 cash award.

Peterson made the announcement at a preview event of the exhibit: “KONGO across the WATERS” at the Carter Center. The event was hosted by Jacqueline Royster, dean of the Ivan Allen College, and Geneviéve Verbeek, the consul general of Belgium in Atlanta. President Jimmy Carter and several other honored guests also were in attendance as part of the ongoing collaborative Africa Atlanta initiative.