Excerpt from my special profile on Opral Benson in October Issue of MANIA Magazine...
Often described as sensational for her enchanting elegance
and superlative trendiness, cultural icon and philanthropist, Opral Mason
Benson remains an epitome of African beauty and engaging intellect. Adeola Ojedokun
takes a trip down memory lane of this woman of courage.
Born on February 7, 1935 at Mason
Hill, Arthington - Northwest Monrovia, Liberia to Honourable Johnson Boto Mason
and Lilly Melissa Mason they (her parents and grandparents elected to name her
Opal (a bluish precious stone with iridescent reflections). They also called
her Amanda, meaning “worthy of love”, but she did not like the name Opal for
interesting reasons and though her parents thought the name was lovelyshe
didn’t. she neither saw herself as precious nor as hard as a stone, so she
began to write Opral on her school notebooks and while it took time she
eventually succeeded in imposing the name change.
