“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Nelson Mandela, the man whose long walk to freedom transformed the evil apartheid system of South Africa, has died.
I will never forget the day I was lucky enough to be at Wembley Stadium with my friend Derek in 1990 to hear Nelson Mandela speak just two months after he was released from prison. It was a day that shaped my life.
We watched him from high in the back of the stands off to the right of the stage. We had spent the day watching some of the best bands on the planet but none came close to the charismatic presence of Madiba.
An astonishing man who rejected hate and embraced forgiveness. May he rest in peace and may we pursue his dream of a world where all are valued and equal.