Remembering Mandela

I am going to pause here and draw your attention to a helpful analogy to describe Mandela’s 27-year imprisonment, his enlightenment behind stone walls, and his ultimate victory in achieving a more colorblind South Africa.

World renowned writer and poet Oscar Wilde once said: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Ironically, we cannot see the stars that light our planet and universe without the company of darkness. Like the night sky, there are often times in our lives when only the darkest of hours can allow us to see star lights which guide our path to a revelation, blessing or enlightenment. History tells us that numerous world leaders have uncovered the source of their greatest visions and achievements in dark moments. Here, we examine one of the greatest examples — Nelson Mandela.

Twenty-seven years is an unfathomable amount of time to imagine being locked behind stone walls. Fortunately, his difficult journey was not in vain. We know today that his confinement represented a significant step in the rebirth and renewal of racial justice in his home country.

Before his life sentence in prison, Mandela sought to achieve a colorblind South Africa by teaching anti-apartheid activists that black liberation would not come without armed force. The government subsequently attributed hundreds of sabotage attacks on power facilities, machines and posts to Mandela’s active resistance movement over the next two years.

Desmond Tutu, a longtime friend to Mandela, stated that Mandela once confided in him that prison transformed the once violent activist into a peaceful and wise leader — the same leader the world witnessed unite a country on the brink of war, according to a Time magazine article. Mandela also suggested that jail helped him learn how to turn his enemies into friends, said Tutu. This was the element missing from Mandela’s youthful days of protest — a genuine understanding of how to unite, rather than drive people apart.

Mandela’s test of time in prison allowed him to better understand the power that unification could bring for all South Africans — and with that, the wisdom to achieve it. Mandela’s long, dark and isolated experience in prison allowed him to see the stars enlightening his understanding that the plight of his people would not be changed by acts of violence that had plagued the country for nearly a century. This understanding was revealed when Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994, enabling him to unite the country and abolish the apartheid movement.

It is mind-boggling that someone can face such darkness in a lifelong imprisonment sentence, and within that prison find the courage and wisdom to complete the battle for which they started nearly three decades before. Mandela should be recognized for his ability to mature from his once violent approach to a more peaceful resolution in achieving the free and democratic society he envisioned.

The buck does not stop with Mandela. Countless others who have achieved greatness have also experienced great trials, tribulations and dark moments, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah Winfrey, Muhammad Ali, Sandra Day O’Connor, etc.

I only wish to remind you that periods of darkness are challenging, but limited in time. Behind every darkness blazes stars of hope, guidance and blessing. I encourage you to embrace the challenges and dark moments you face in your daily life. Remember that the stars in our lives often shine the brightest in our darkest moments. Sometimes all we have to do is look up to achieve resolution in our human struggle.

A native of Pacifica, Jonathan Madison worked as professional policy staff for the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, from 2011-2013. Jonathan works as an attorney and can be reached via email at jonathanemadison@gmail.com.