Remembering Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on the 18 July 1918 a Xhosa of the Thembu royal family. He became a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Nelson Mandela passed away earlier this month on December 5, 2013.

Mandela was South Africa's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. Mandela's government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid by tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.

More than his accalades, Nelson Mandela was a pilar of hope for blacks, not just in South Africa, but throughout the African content. His confidence and unrelenting determination to achieve equality for his people by ending apartheid in South Africa is unequalled in our lifetime. The magnitude of his achievement can only be equated to that of Mahatma Gandhi, who won freedom for India from the British Empire through mass actions of peaceful civil disobedience in the first half of 20th Century. In fact, it was Ghandi who helped to inspire South Africans and Nelson Mandela to stand up to the injustice of apartheid.

This video clip from PBS Newshour (below) is an excellent recap of Mandela's life. Please share it with anyone who you think would benefit from learning more about Nelson Mandela and how he inspired a nation to fight for justice.