What Nelson Mandela taught us

A few months ago, my dad and I spent an evening together in conversation and dinner. We decided to close the day with a movie and agreed on the 2009 drama “Invictus,” directed by Clint Eastwood.

“Invictus” is labeled a biographical sports drama, but I think the film lesson is epic in proportion. The film stars theatrical heavyweights like Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.

The story is true. It’s based on John Carlin’s book “Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That made a Nation.” The emphasis is on the events leading up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup hosted in South Africa after the election of Mandela to the presidency, and following the deconstruction of apartheid.

The crux of the story is that the South African rugby union team the Sprinboks, captained by Francois Pienaar, had thrived during apartheid and was enjoying little momentum in public support from the black population.

Enter a tolerant and gracious President Mandela, and suddenly the Latin word “invictus,” translated as meaning undefeated, seems the perfect attribution to this giant of a man.

As the ailing Mandela’s life wanes, I’m compelled to remind that his legacy is one of global compassion, tolerance and most importantly, forgiveness. If you don’t recall, in the same spirit as India’s Mahatma Gandhi, Mandela’s life has been defined by championing civil rights and freedom across the world.

Mandela turns 95 July 18. He began as a lawyer before World War II. He focused on human rights. He became a member of anti-Colonial politics in South Africa and formed the Youth League in the country. When Afrikaner nationalists took over after 1948 and formed the National Party, Mandela stepped up his advocacy to prevent a separatist philosophy from destroying his country.

Both the Dutch and British practiced racial segregation prior to the National Party’s arrival, but thereafter until 1994, apartheid was the world’s signature segregation model and eventually codified into South African law. By 1970, non-white political representation was prohibited and soon after, blacks were actually stricken of citizenship and forced to join one of 10 tribal self-governed “homelands” equating to further segregation from education, health care, public and community service access. The country’s ugliness mirrored time periods of the United States, but this was in the last 40 years during a modernizing and advancing world, which makes it even more unconscionable.

Why is Mandela so special? Despite multiple arrests and persecution in the public and through the South African justice system (an oxymoron at the time), he led the effort to quell the unrest and blatant discrimination. His peaceful efforts failing, his associates turned to more aggressive advocacy and people died. He was arrested again in 1962 for sabotage and conspiracy and served 27 years in prison.

Imagine serving almost three decades in prison; wrongly convicted and on the basis of seeking freedom for everyone in your country.

Upon his release, rather than steer toward retribution, he methodically worked to end apartheid. He succeeded with the help of many national and international notables.

Apartheid was abolished in 1994, the year Mandela became president. That’s what makes the movie “Invictus” and those real events so special. President Mandela forgave his apartheid countrymen after horrible persecution and 27 years in prison, and then publicly embraced the apartheid rugby team, encouraging all blacks to support the spirit of nationalism so desperately needed for South Africa to achieve true unity. The South Africans won the World Cup that year, and the country felt a refreshing cohesion, thanks to Mandela.

Mandela later served as an international mediator during various confrontations, and continued effective statesmanship with dignity as he generated attention to starvation in Africa and concurrent AIDS/HIV epidemic. His honors include the Nobel Peace Prize, U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom and Soviet Order of Lenin.

Today, at this very moment, the 94-year-old Mandela lays in a South Africa hospital surrounded by family in critical condition with a lung infection.

Disappointingly, prejudice and discrimination still exist in our world despite his lifelong efforts. The good news is that he has forged a new perspective that can be seen and heard around the world.

On a personal level, Mandela has taught me that forgiveness cleanses the soul. Whether you’ve been discriminated against, shamed, taunted, castigated or just treated poorly to whatever degree, like Mandela, you have it within yourself to accept what has happened, move forward with a head held high and forgive.

Mandela’s lesson is an indelible inspiration for us all. His legacy is one of forgiveness.

Meadow Lakes resident Tom Anderson is a former Republican legislator. He owns Optima Public Relations and is a host on Fox News Talk radio, 95.5 FM and 1020 AM.