A review of Mandela’s legacy
The HinduMartin Luther King Jr. once said, “If a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” Nelson Mandela was a man who cherished the ideal of a free society all his life; an ideal that as he proclaimed at his trial in Pretoria, in April 1964, he hoped to live for, but if need be, die for. As such, he was not necessarily, as he proclaimed later, “an ordinary man who became a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.” Truly speaking, South Africa’s transition to democracy, under the leadership of Mandela, was a great work of political creativity and moral wisdom. His life experience speaks clearly for itself: the transformation of Mandela and that of the South African society went hand in hand. “Walter’s house in Orlando,” Mandela wrote later, “was a Mecca for activists and ANC members.” These two influences drove Mandela to form the African National Congress Youth League in 1944.
History of this topic
‘I am prepared to die’: Mandela’s speech which shook apartheid
Al Jazeera
Unpack the past: Mandela, the keffiyeh and South Africa’s Palestine embrace
Al Jazeera
How Nelson Mandela’s former prison guard is keeping his legacy alive
The Independent
Obituary: Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s ‘moral compass’
Al Jazeera
South African anti-apartheid icon Andrew Mlangeni dies at 95
LA Times
Nelson Mandela: A Prophet of Reconciliation
Live Mint
Mandela’s release 30 years ago birthed a new South Africa
Associated Press
Embracing Nelson Mandela’s contested legacy
Al Jazeera
Embracing Nelson Mandela’s contested legacy
Al JazeeraDiscover Related
