Remembering
Mandela Atlanta’s faith community hails Nelson Mandela By Valerie J. Morgan
F
aith leaders in Atlanta, the cradle of America’s Civil Rights Movement, paid tributes to Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s “greatest son.” The revolutionary hero who fought against white domination passed away on Dec. 5 after battling a recurring long infection. Officials said he died peacefully surrounded by family. He was 95. “He is now resting. He is now at peace. The nation has lost its greatest son,” South African President Jacob Zuma said in a televised announcement. Mandela was laid to rest at his ancestral village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape. As people from around the globe paid their respects, religious leaders in metro Atlanta, hailed Mandela for liberating South African blacks from apartheid. The Rev. Bernice A. King likened South Africa’s fight for racial equality to that waged by her father, the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born in Atlanta and became one of the most celebrated civil rights activists in the world. Bernice King said she stood in awe when Mandela visited Atlanta in June 1990. Mandela, who had spent 27 years in South African prisons, had been released in February that year after intense public and political pressure. He visited the King Center in Atlanta and laid a wreath at the grave of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bernice King compared Mandela’s arrival in Atlanta to that of a “pop star.” “I was 27 years old at that time--the same number of years that he (Mandela) had served in prison. I saw Nelson Mandela in the same way that so people saw my father: I was in awe to be in his presence,” Bernice King said. “Outside of Jesus Christ and my parents, he (Mandela) is the one. When I met him, I found a very
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calm spirit, very dignified, a forgiving spirit. It was so comforting to me.” King, who now serves as CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, said that she and her mother, Coretta Scott King, were arrested in South Africa in 1985 for protesting apartheid. South Africa’s legalized system of oppression was implemented in 1948 after South Africa became independent from Great Britain. The government required blacks to carry passbooks and permits when entering white neighborhoods and the best jobs, education and economic opportunities were reserved for whites. Apartheid was repealed in 1991, a year after Mandela, who served 27 years in prison, was released. Following his release, Mandela emerged as the country’s first black President and served from 1994 to 1999. King says her mother personally championed for Mandela’s release. The late Coretta Scott King wrote articles about Mandela while he was in prison. One was entitled “Free Nelson Mandela.” Civil rights icon, the Rev. Joseph Lowery, who was instrumental in bringing Mandela to Atlanta in 1990, said he never met anyone like Mandela. “He came out head high and spirit free,” Lowery said in describing Mandela’s eventual freedom from prison. “He didn’t look back. He looked forward to what he could do for his nation.” Dr. Cynthia Hale of Ray of Hope Christian Church in DeKalb County lauded Mandela for make an unselfish sacrifice. “Nelson Mandela’s been described as an international icon, one who, through the sacrifice of his life secured freedom, equality and justice not just for South Africans, but for all,” said Hail. “He has shown us what it means to live a life that puts the needs of others first. As we mourn his death and celebrate his life, may we seek to emulate his example and ensure that all persons are treated with dignity and respect.” Mega church leader Bishop Eddie L. Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in DeKalb County said Mandela leaves a “remarkable” legacy. “Nelson Mandela inspired us, challenged us, and