Nelson Mandela

At one time in my life I was an expert on obscure African liberation movements.  I knew about Frelimo and Swapo and the ANC.  I attended meetings in Berkeley in support of revolutionary organizations.  I wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the efforts by the United Nations to hasten the decolonization of Angola and Mozambique and South West Africa.     I predicted that Portuguese colonies would gain independence when the Portuguese dictator Salazar died, which is exactly what happened.  

I also knew that South Africa was on its way to a race war that would result in thousands, if not millions, of casualties.  After all, this was a country which Gandhi had his first failure.  This was a country that was trying to herd blacks into “homelands” within its borders.  Its apartheid policies made Mississippi look liberal.  It had the closest thing to Fascism since Hitler.  But I was wrong; the race war never arrived.  

The reason I was wrong was because of one man--Nelson Mandela.  I know South Africa still has immense problems--housing segregation, corruption, crime, income inequality--but it is still the most prosperous African country, its government is reasonably democratic, and its people are united.  Nelson Mandela was truly amazing, and the world is so much better for what he accomplished.