Freedom Day: How Grace Changed a Nation

“We dedicate this day to all heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free.” Nelson Mandela

April 27 1994

This is the date of South Africa’s first democratic national elections following Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.

The world waited with bated breath for the country to descend into chaos, or worse; war.

It did not happen. Grace prevailed.

Apartheid fell and with it the racist, oppressive rule which sought to completely separate the different races.

Mandela forgave his oppressors, even including them in his inner circle as the newly elected President. Forgiveness triumphed over judgment and set this nation on a path towards success.

Mandela became a world-wide figure for his grace and forgiveness. He led a nation off the path of hatred and towards freedom.

There are still many issues needing resolution in South Africa. Freedom has only been around for 19 years. It often takes a generation to chance

But Freedom Day, is not a long-ago holiday in South Africa. It is a holiday of yesterday with a promise of a new future being written before our eyes.

Grace has the power to change a nation.

To learn more about South Africa and Mandela, I highly recommend Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela  This is far and away the best biography I have ever read. 

“Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world.”  Nelson Mandela

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