Immaculate Contraception

Madikizela-Mandela insisted that she disbanded the football club in the late 1980s at the instruction of her still-imprisoned husband, but continued to be branded by its activities.

Her L.A. fans said they never gave much credence to the accusations.

“She is a brave woman to withstand all the criticism and attacks,” said Adwoa Nyamekye, the 50-year-old president of the Black Employees Association, a nonprofit organization representing African-American and other minority workers.

“Anytime you are at the forefront of a controversial struggle, you’ll be criticized. The test of a leader is how quickly you get back up again,” community activist Najee Ali said.

“In spite of all the things that have been done to her, she is still a loyal and hard worker,” said Nelle Becker-Staton, a retired schoolteacher and children’s-book author.

—Lee Condon

MARTHA’S IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

It was bound to happen: The queen of housekeeping, Martha Stewart, has offered an immunity challenge to the hardy souls of this season’s Survivor TV series. Appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live, Martha was by turns flirtatious (Martha: “You are married now. Too bad.” Larry: “But you certainly were a catch”), then serious as King shifted into hard-nosed interviewer mode: “Do you think you could go to the outback of Australia? Could you be a Survivor?” he questioned her sharply. With a flick of her softly coifed blond hair and nary a wrinkle in her pastel-blue suit, the ever-poised Ms. Stewart responded that not only would she survive “easily,” but that she would probably win the television game. Martha went on to offer her “services” to the show’s producers. Now what services could those be? Making the centerpiece for the Tribal Council table? Monogramming the alligator traps? Grilling rats 10 ways?

Perusing the CNN interview for Martha’s Survivor quotient, we came to agree that she might well come out on top in the outback. However briefly, Martha studied architecture and chemistry in college. She brags about being able “to find food where other people can’t” and suffers from a vicious “urge to get things done.” Strip away the vintage milk-glass kitchenware and color-coded ribbon organizers, after all, and Martha Stewart is a woman who can cut up a raw chicken in 30 seconds flat. Or, we dare say, a rat.

—Gendy Alimurung