by Bill Fletcher,
I expected to hear the news. I did not know
when it would arrive. I did not believe that he had much longer to live.
So, when, this afternoon, i heard that Nelson Mandela, at the age of 95,
had passed away, i was nevertheless surprised at my reaction. Actually
there were two reactions.
The first reaction was that of the loss of an
elderly relative. I know that sounds melodramatic but i feel that i grew
up with Nelson Mandela. From my earliest days as a young radical i heard
the name “Nelson Mandela”. I learned about the African National Congress,
the Pan Africanist Congress, and later the other forces that contributed to the
South African Freedom struggle. His picture was in my home in the form of
a poster. He was present in my life. And, at the age of 95, one
could not be surprised in hearing of his passing.
