Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Nelson Mandela, a human and civil rights icon of the highest order, passed away today after a lengthy illness. He was 95.

He was born into African royalty, but served – that’s right, SERVED, the needs of all of his fellow South Africans, but to the world. Mandela could have easily lived a successful life as an attorney, but instead he chose to take a stand and a cause against a system that reflected not only on his people, but left a stain on the global human rights movement.

Mandela walked it like he talked it, making enormous sacrifices for the cause of freedom and human rights. It cost him marriages, quality time with his family, and, most famously, nearly a third of life as a free man. It was those 27 years behind bars – most of which was under solitary confinement, breaking rocks or in a lime quarry – that scarred his body, but never his stance. While preferring non-violence as a means for social change, Mandela also did not rule armed struggle. In 1961, he co-founded Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the African National Congress and it waged a campaign of bombing campaigns against government installations. But even in the midst of this campaign, his humanity and compassion stood out: The bombings were well orchestrated with an emphasis key structures were destroyed with no civilians or personnel were killed. Upon his release from prison, Mandela did not call for armed struggle. He did not call for a campaign of hatred toward his oppressors. Instead, he worked with the same government that imprisoned him to not only end the growing violence that plagued his nation, but to insure that free and open elections happened for all South Africans. Only a man with great insight, wisdom and courage could say these words upon being released from jail after 27 years:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Much will be said in the coming days about how Mandela embraced various ideals – communism, socialism, pan-Africanism, Rastafari, you name it. But for Nelson Mandela, it was all the means to the true end:

One person, one vote.

Human rights for all irrespective of race, class, color or creed.

Rest in power Mr. Mandela.

Amandla!