Tata Madiba. Father of a Nation.

What could I honestly say that hasn't already been said about Nelson Mandela. And what question about his life could I answer that hasn't yet already been answered by the experts. He was born a poor village boy, fought the unjust Apartheid system in his 20's as a well spoken student of law, served 27 years of political imprisonment, and changed the face of a nation and the world.

To the people of South Africa, he was more than a poster child for freedom, more than a mouth piece, more than a man. He was considered the Father of the new South Africa. I can honestly say that Obama said it best in his address to memorial service in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The Nation is at a standstill this Sunday as shops, restaurants, literally everything, has closed in respects for Madiba's funeral happening right now.


"Born during World War I, far from the corridors of power, a boy raised herding cattle and tutored by the elders of his Thembu tribe, Madiba would emerge as the last great liberator of the 20th century. Like Gandhi, he would lead a resistance movement -- a movement that at its start had little prospect for success. Like Dr. King, he would give potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice. He would endure a brutal imprisonment that began in the time of Kennedy and Khrushchev, and reached the final days of the Cold War. Emerging from prison, without the force of arms, he would -- like Abraham Lincoln -- hold his country together when it threatened to break apart. And like America’s Founding Fathers, he would erect a constitutional order to preserve freedom for future generations -- a commitment to democracy and rule of law ratified not only by his election, but by his willingness to step down from power after only one term."

Politics in Mourning

As hundreds of spectators gathered in the soccer stadium in Johannesburg to honor a legend and hear the comforting words of powerful people, the citizens of South Africa wasted no time sharing their feelings towards the current President Jacob Zuma. Upon hearing his name or seeing him rise to speak the audience shared their distain, with heckles and booing in numbers too great to be ignored by anyone. It is easy to see that Zuma is not held in the high esteem that Mandela was and that Zuma's legacy pales in comparison to his predecessor. While the timing may have been inappropriate in light of the circumstances, there were no other outlets for the people to express their feelings. 

To compound the insults directed at the current president at the funeral this morning I noticed subliminal belittling. While South Africa utilizes it's own national sign language, at the funeral the interpreters were undeniably signing in American Sign Language. And as I watched them, out of habit from attending a deaf school myself for 4 years, my jaw dropped when I saw what the interpreter called the president in his "sign name". Instead of "President Zuma" the interpreter signed, "Prince Stupid". I kid you not, her and 2 other interpreters over the course of 2 hours signed Prince Stupid consistently when referencing President Zuma. And this incident was AFTER Tuesday in which a fraud interpreter used nonsensical gestures to interpret President Obama's speech. Later it turned out that same man had been convicted of rape, murder, and kidnapping, what's happening? Let me tell you these South African Interpreters are a ballsy group of people. 

As I type, they have laid Madiba to rest after a procession of 450 people trailed out to the grave site between rows of military personel. "I don't think all the good he's done will go into that grave..." said the reporter. And neither do I. South Africa is committed to carrying on his legacy of equality, nonviolence, and love. It has been a surreal experience to be here living in South Africa while the nation mourns their loved leader. An experience I am grateful to be apart of.


Rest in peace Tata Madiba. You are loved by your people and the world.


"It took a man like Madiba to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well to show that you must trust others so that they may trust you; to teach that reconciliation is not a matter of ignoring a cruel past, but a means of confronting it with inclusion and generosity and truth. He changed laws, but he also changed hearts.

For the people of South Africa, for those he inspired around the globe, Madiba’s passing is rightly a time of mourning, and a time to celebrate a heroic life. But I believe it should also prompt in each of us a time for self-reflection. With honesty, regardless of our station or our circumstance, we must ask: How well have I applied his lessons in my own life?"