Madiba is not a hero because he was a super-human who did super-human things. He is a hero because he was a human who did human things in a very super way.
The first time I remember hearing about Mandela was very close to his imminent release from prison in 1990. I would have been 12 years old. I remember that day - February 11, 1990 - watching the news coverage (CNN if I remember correctly) all day to see this man released from prison. My 12 year old mind didn't fully understand his importance, but seeing all the celebration, I knew there had to be something special that was happening that day. I remember sitting with anticipation waiting for this man; this man that I wasn't even sure who he was; to be released. For some reason his release was running late, but I watched nonetheless. When I saw him walk through the gates, I felt a sense of happiness that I could not explain. I had no idea of his greatness except through what the news commentators had been saying up to that point. I heard him speak of a new South Africa.
That was the day that Mandela came onto the radar screen of a young American boy and left an impression that would never leave. From that day forward, he would be a hero to me.
Mandela stood against injustice and oppression. That is not news to anyone who knows anything about him. This cannot be overstated! Perhaps the greatest oppression he conquered was hate. Mandela had every reason to hate his oppressors that February day that he was released from prison. Instead, he decided to leave his hate and anger behind so that his whole life would not be in a mental prison. He made peace with those who oppressed his people and him. He mastered the art of making peace without making concessions to evil. Mandela did not settle for what would be a "good step," but rather he held out for what was right. In the process, however, he refused to let hate be his motivator no matter what his opponents used as their motivator.
When Mandela was President of South Africa - the first Black President that nation has ever seen, he included members of the former Apartheid Regime in his government. He could have, and some say he should have criminalized them as they did to him. Revenge was not on his mind. Instead, the best interest of South Africa was his goal.
Mandela was not power hungry. While he most likely could have built a cult of personality and held onto power - either officially or unofficially - he quietly stepped down as president without incident.
I stated earlier that Mandela was not a super-human, and I stand by that. But that is what makes him a hero. He was a regular person who did super things. How many people could spend an unjustified 27 years in prison and then forgive his or her captors and go on to lead the nation and include the captors in the government? Who else could set up a truth and reconciliation committee instead of prosecuting and seeking revenge?
Ordinary people can do great things because Mandela did!
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