OURstory: Nelson Mandela Released From Prison (Feb 11, 1990)

On this date in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison. He was (then) a South African political activist and member of the African National Congress.

Still active, he had been in Robben Island prison in South Africa for 27 years.

What are your thoughts on Nelson Mandela?

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Rest In Peace: Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Today we mourn the death of international hero Nelson Mandela. His life personifies 'the heart of a lion'. He led the fight against apartheid with extraordinary vigor and resilience after spending nearly three decades of his life behind bars. He sacrificed his private life and his youth for his people, and remains South Africa's best known and loved hero.


Mandela was born July 18, 1918. He was jailed in November 1962 for leaving the country illegally and for incitement to strike. While serving the sentence he was charged with sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In prison Mandela demonstrated his heart by never compromising his political principles. He was always a source of strength for the other prisoners. Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant Black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.


More people watched his release from prison on February 11, 1990 than any other prisoner in the history of the world. Some even analyzed the details of his speech he gave on his release! He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. He served as president of South Africa from 1994-1999.

Mandela has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities. Nelson Mandela retired from public life in June 1999 and he currently resides in his birth place - Qunu, Transkei.

Here is my Pinterest board dedicated to Nelson Mandela

Villagers, do you remember your participating in protests against apartheid? Do you remember how you felt when Mandela was finally released from prison? Can you deny that this quite man of peace found a way into your heart?

Rest in peace, Madiba!

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013)

Today is Mandela Day. On this date in 1918 Nelson Mandela was born. I think that Mr. Mandela has been rewarded with long-life to compensate for the remarkable sacrifice that he made for his people.

Nelson Mandela is the South African leader who sparked a series of events that led to the end of apartheid. He also served as the first Black president of South Africa and won the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize.

Born in Umtata, South Africa, in what is now Eastern Cape Province, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was the son of a Xhosa-speaking Thembu chief. He attended the University of Fort Hare in Alice where he became involved in the political struggle against the racial discrimination practiced in South Africa. He was expelled in 1940 for participating in a student demonstration. After moving to Johannesburg, he completed his course work by correspondence through the University of South Africa and received a bachelor’s degree in 1942. Mandela then studied law at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

He became increasingly involved with the African National Congress (ANC), a multiracial nationalist movement which sought to bring about democratic political change in South Africa. Mandela helped establish the ANC’s Youth League in 1944 and became its president in 1951. The National Party (NP) came to power in South Africa in 1948 on a political platform of white supremacy. The official policy of apartheid, or forced segregation of the races, began to be implemented under NP rule. In 1952, the ANC staged a campaign known as the Defiance Campaign, when protesters across the country refused to obey apartheid laws. That same year Mandela became one of the ANC’s four deputy presidents.

In 1952, he and his friend Oliver Tambo were the first Blacks to open a law practice in South Africa. In the face of government harassment and with the prospect of the ANC being officially banned, Mandela and others devised a plan. Called the "M" plan after Mandela, it organized the ANC into small units of people who could then encourage grassroots participation in anti-apartheid struggles.

By the late 1950s, Mandela, with Oliver Tambo and others, moved the ANC in a more militant direction against the increasingly discriminatory policies of the government. He was charged with treason in 1956 because of the ANC’s increased activity, particularly in the Defiance Campaign, but he was acquitted after a five-year trial. In 1957, Mandela divorced his first wife, Evelyn Mase; in 1958, he married Nkosikazi Nomzamo Madikizela, a social worker, who became known as Winnie Mandela. In March 1960, the ANC and its rival, the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC), called for a nationwide demonstration against South Africa’s pass laws, which controlled the movement and employment of Blacks and forced them to carry identity papers.

When police massacred 69 Blacks demonstrating in Sharpeville, both the ANC and the PAC were banned. After Sharpeville, the ANC abandoned the strategy of nonviolence, which until that time had been an important part of its philosophy. Mandela helped to establish the ANC’s military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), in December 1961. He was named its commander-in-chief and went to Algeria for military training.

Back in South Africa, he was arrested in August 1962 and sentenced to prison for incitement and for leaving the country illegally. In response to both international and domestic pressure, the South African government, under the leadership of President F. W. de Klerk, lifted the ban against the ANC and released Mandela in February 1990 after 28 years in prison.



Soon after his release from prison he became estranged from Winnie Mandela, who had played a key leadership role in the anti apartheid movement during his incarceration. Although Winnie had won international recognition for her defiance of the government, immediately before Mandela’s release she had come into conflict with the ANC over a controversial kidnapping and murder trial that involved her young bodyguards. The Mandelas were divorced in 1996. Mandela, who enjoyed enormous popularity, assumed the leadership of the ANC and led negotiations with the government for an end to apartheid. While white South Africans considered sharing power a big step, Black South Africans wanted nothing less than a complete transfer of power. Mandela played a crucial role in resolving differences. For their efforts, he and de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. The following year South Africa held its first multiracial elections, and Mandela became president. Mandela sought to calm the fears of white South Africans and of potential international investors by trying to balance plans for reconstruction and development with financial caution. His Reconstruction and Development Plan allotted large amounts of money to the creation of jobs and housing and to the development of basic health care. In December 1996, Mandela signed into law a new South African constitution. The constitution established a federal system with a strong central government based on majority rule, and it contained guarantees of the rights of minorities and of freedom of expression. Mandela became the oldest elected President of South Africa when he took office at the age of 77 in 1994. He retired in 1999, to be succeeded by Thabo Mbeki as party leader of the ANC. After his retirement as President, Mandela went on to become an advocate for a variety of social and human rights organizations. He has expressed his support for the international Make Poverty History movement of which the ONE Campaign is a part. Since his retirement, one of Mandela's primary commitments has been to the fight against AIDS. Mandela's 90th birthday was marked across the country on July 18, 2008, with the main celebrations held at his home town of Qunu. A concert in his honor was also held in Hyde Park, London. In a speech to mark his birthday, Mandela called for the rich people to help poor people across the world.   My Mandela Memory: Nelson Mandela went on a worldwide tour after his release from prison in 1990. Stevie Wonder joined him on the tour when it came to the United States. I was living in Detroit when the Mandela tour came to Tigers Stadium. I recall the sense of pride and awe that I felt in realizing that this stoic African sacrificed his youth during 28-years in prison. He stood like a rock in his belief. All of us should aspire to have Mandela's strength of character. What 'Mandela Memory' can you share with us?

VIDEO: The People Want Mandela

Nic Hofmeyr dug this one out of the archives, and remastered it from two damaged tapes. `THE PEOPLE WANT MANDELA' was a song that came from an initiative by the South African Musicians Alliance to celebrate the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990.



Written by Jennifer Ferguson, Rashid Lanie, Victor Ntoni and Ray Phiri, the song was recorded by some of the top South African artistes and musicians of the time.

Wordless Wednesday: Is Nelson Mandela the Most Beloved Person on the Planet?

SOURCE: Pinterest Board, 'Nelson Mandela'

Morgan Freeman Talks About His Movie, 'Invictus'

Soulclap to Ava DuVernay for inviting the Electronic Village to participate in a press conference with Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman to discuss his upcoming film, Invictus. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood, the movie stars Oscar winner Morgan Freeman as 'Nelson Mandela', along with Oscar winner Matt Damon. The film chronicles Mandela's first term as president after the fall of apartheid as he attempted to unite his countrymen by hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Morgan Freeman was the driving force to bring this movie to the big screen. I didn't realize until today that Freeman is co-founder of Revelations Entertainment. He uses this company to develop films that 'enlighten, express heart, and glorify the human experience'. Revalations Entertainment bought the rights to John Carlin's book, Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation, a few years ago. Freeman had been studying Nelson Mandela since they met over 12 years ago. He has been searching for the right project all that time.

"This was a labor of love," said Freeman. "I wanted to do a story about Mandela for a long time ... this was the right time ... this was meant to be. I'm a big believer in fate. I memorized the poem, Invictus, when I was in the 8th grade!"

Freeman indicates that he wanted Clint Eastwood to direct the film from the very beginning. Villagers may recall that the Eastwood-Freeman team has been magical in the past on such films as Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby.

"I sent him (Eastwood) the script. He read it and called me back to say he would like to direct it", said Freeman. "Clint Eastwood is an actor's dream. He is a consummate professional. Quite simply, he is the best."

Mr. Freeman indicated that he was 'not intimidated' by playing a living legend in this movie. He noted with a chuckle that he is a 'professional actor'. However, he did acknowledge that there were some intimidating aspects in playing this role.

"There have been a number of actors, such as Danny Glover and Sidney Poitier, who have played Mandela before. I learned my lines in the script ... his walk ... the way that he talks ... then I add in the other nuances of Mandela. The biggest challenge is to remember to sound like him. If there is going to be an area where I fail in this movie it would be in whether or not my voice sounded enough like that of Mandela."

I was struck by the passion that Mr. Freeman felt for this story and for Mr. Mandela. He talked about filming that took place at the Robben Island ... and how awestruck he and the other actors were as they realized the confined space that held Mr. Mandela for over a quarter-century.

Mr. Freeman indicated that Nelson Mandela has not yet seen the film. However, the staff of the Mandela Foundation did screen the movie recently. They were very pleased with the movie which was important to Freeman as the people closest to Mandela "are likely to be the harshest critics". Mr. Freeman will be in South Africa next week with Mr. Mandela. He is hopeful to have a chance to watch the movie with the former South African president.

Mr. Freeman noted that he doesn't usually watch his own movies.

"I don't watch my movies. I trained as a stage actor. I know whether my performance is good or not from the immediate reaction of the audience."

I asked Mr. Freeman to comment on the current state of affairs for the Black Cinema. Specifically, I was curious to hear what, in his opinion, the public ... villagers like you and me ... could do to improve the state of the Black Cinema.

"Tyler Perry is doing a great deal in this area right now with his studio in Atlanta. He is producing movies and showing others that it is possible to be successful with that formula. I imagine that others interested in advancing the Black Cinema would use Tyler Perry as a role model."

Finally, I noticed that Mr. Freeman's career has him with scores of film roles ... however, I noticed that he only had one credit as a director. He directed the 1993 film, 'Bopha', starring Danny Glover. I wanted to know if Mr. Freeman planned on getting behind the camera again in the future as a director.

"I have no plans to direct. I prefer to be an actor. I like to get in to a character or a role ... finish it ... and move on to the next acting assignment. Directing requires almost a year of commitment with all of the pre-production, production and post-production work. Quite frankly, I'm too lazy to be a director!"

Well, villagers, I must admit that I enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Morgan Freeman. He was gracious and seemed to be very comfortable in his own skin. His movie, Invictus comes out next week. I plan to go see it. How about you?

Sunday Inspirations: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela turned 90 this weekend. He is one of the most remarkable people in the history of the world. He retired from public life back in 2004, however continues working to make poverty history.

Anyhow, we have talked about Mandela before. I remain inspired by his example and thought he would make a good subject for my weekly Sunday Inspiration meme.

It appears that Janus was inspired as well:



I encourage all villagers to sign Mandela's birthday card!