Tonight I met a lady on the escalator at Holborn tube station. She was holding a massive movie poster for the new Mandela film and I asked her where she got it from. She said she was standing outside at the premiere and took the official poster board after the actors and guests went to watch the movie. I was telling her that I thought the premiere was two weeks ago because I read somewhere that they were showing it in Hackney. I am pretty sure it was for the African Film Festival in London. She corrected me and told me that the official premiere was tonight. I honestly thought she had watched it and I asked how it was and she said she didn’t get to and she regularly stands outside movie premieres if there are actors she likes in the film. She has about 6 or 7 movie poster boards and tonight it was for Idris Elba. She said this evening the crowd turn out was disappointing. There were about 30 or so fans supporting and for a film like this, there should have been more. I mentioned heard it is a great film and I really want to see it. After a few minutes we reached our platform and departed ways with a smile. I was home within 30-40mins and as I walk into the living room I see on BBC news that the Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela has passed away at the age of 95 in his home in Johannesburg. I was in shock. Only moments earlier I was having an indirect conversation about him!
A great man who impacted the world in so many ways. Words are not even enough to describe his impact. I have a 16 year old cousin who was named after Mandela. From a young age I knew that his name carried weight. I kind of knew about what Mandela did for South Africa and the world, but it was only until I was 17 that I did a history paper on him. I watched documentaries upon documentaries, read books upon books, read stuff online, to the point where I was quoting lines. Unfortunately I don’t remember any of it. I kind of remember the question I formulated for the paper. Was Nelson Mandela and the ANC terrorists? The questions was of course longer, but it evolved around this subject. Five thousand words later, the conclusion was NO. Thanks to Mandela’s determination, after 27 years in jail, he helped end apartheid, became the first black-president of South Africa, transformed the dynamics of South Africa for the better and put Africa on the map. Whether you met him, read his words, watched him speak on TV you were bound to be impacted by his grace, courage and wisdom. He is a father of Africa.
I have experienced a few family deaths in recent years either unexpectedly or through illness. When I first experienced death in 2006, it didn’t go down so well. Unfortunately more occurred and my perspective of death changed. Instead of crying my heart out until I couldn’t breath, I was grateful I knew that family member and found comfort in that. I am seeing Mandela’s passing in the same light. Death is sad, but I am so grateful he lived a full 95 years, not every one gets to live to that age. I am so grateful I lived in a time where I saw him in action and saw his impact. I think of the way my Dad speaks of Martin Luther King Jnr and what is was like for black people even though he was in Africa. I too will be able to tell my children about Mandela like my Dad told me about Martin Luther King Jnr. The days when people only knew of Africa because of Mandela or when they thought Mandela was Africa’s president. The day when he came out of prison or the day when he was elected President. He turned the world’s eyes to Africa and the world listened with their eyes wide open. The history books will note down the facts, but our children will hear our emotion with the way we describe him and what he did for Africa. To carry that emotion and knowledge of Mandela, and pass it on to our children is a beautiful thing. Priceless in fact.
Thank you Madiba.
South Africa, Africa and the World thank you.
Rest In Peace!
Read more at BBC.CO.UK
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