Complete Statement of President Barack Obama Upon the Death of President Nelson Mandela

At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, “I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.  I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal, and he made it real.  He achieved more than could be expected of any man.  Today, he has gone home.  And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth.  He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages.

Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa -- and moved all of us.  His journey from a prisoner to a President embodied the promise that human beings -- and countries -- can change for the better.  His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.  And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable.  As he once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela's life.  My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid.  I studied his words and his writings.  The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears.  And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.

To Graça Machel and his family, Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this extraordinary man with us.  His life’s work meant long days away from those who loved him the most.  And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.

To the people of South Africa, we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience that you made real.  A free South Africa at peace with itself -- that’s an example to the world, and that’s Madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.

We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.  So it falls to us as best we can to forward the example that he set:  to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.

For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived -- a man who took history in his hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.  May God Bless his memory and keep him in peace.

Dec. 5, 2013

POSTED DEC. 5.  UPDATED TUESDAY, DEC. 10

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Legendary former South Africa President Nelson Mandela, reverred around the world for his decades of activism and ultimate presidential leadership for a free South Africa, is dead at 95. President Barack Obama has order U. S. flags to be flown at half staff during 10 days of mourning in his honor as memorial services are set for this week and Sunday.

"Through his fierce dignity and unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba transformed South Africa - and moved all of us.  His journey from a prisoner to a President embodied the promise that human beings - and countries - can change for the better," President Barack Obama said in a special statement from the White House Press Room Dec. 5. "His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.  And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections, only makes the man that much more remarkable.  As he once said, “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”

Only moments earlier, South Africa President Jacob Zuma had announced the death of the country's beloved "Madiba", Mandela's trible name. The announcement was carried live on many stations in the U. S.

"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss," Zuma said. "His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family."

The people of South Africa poured into the streets dancing and singing in celebration of the life of their hero as they learned of his death that occurred at 8:50 p.m., Dec. 5. Mandela died at his Johannesburg home surrounded by his wife, Graca Machel, and family. He had suffered a lengthy illness that doctors identified as a chronic respiratory infection. He had lived in a remote village in the Eastern Cape area since retiring from public life two years ago after South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.

An official day of mourning and prayers on Sunday, Dec. 8 started a week of official memorial services. On Tuesday, about 90,000 South Africans were expected to be joined by foreign dignitaries and at least 90 heads of state - including President and First Lady Obama at a national memorial in a World Cup soccer stadium near Soweto. The body of Mandela was to then lie in state for three days at the Union Building in Pretoria. 

The official memorials are set to end Sunday, Dec. 15 with a state funeral in Qunu, Mandela’s childhood village. 

Tuesday's official memorial service will not only host heads of state, but activists from around the world, including from the U. S. where protests calling for Mandela's freedom from prison became synonimous with protests for a free South Africa during the 1970s and 1980s until his release on Feb. 11, 1990.

Mandela reached world fame as he served 27 years in prison for his opposition to the racist apartheid rule that once divided the country between Whites, Coloreds and Blacks. Millions of American activists, celebrities and politicians joined activitists around the world in decades of protests for his freedom. Released on Feb. 11, 1990, he became South Africa's first Black president in 1994 and served for five years.

Initial reactions to the death of this Nobel Peace Prize winner, an iconic figure to millions, poured in from American civil rights leaders.

"Nelson Mandela was truly a transformative force in the history of South Africa and the world. My heart weighs heavy today, but his life was full and the imprint he left on our world is everlasting," said the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. "Every now and then a soul of rare vintage comes our way.   That by circumstances, sacrifice and suffering, finds its way into the soul of our global culture, the family of man, and calls our better angels to fly.  Such a soul is Nelson Mandela."

Reflections continued.

“President Mandela was humanity’s greatest living hero. His unwavering sense of justice and peace transformed a nation and inspired the world,” said Lorraine Miller, interim president/CEO of the NAACP.

"He changed human history and taught activists around the world that in order to legitimately further what is noble, you must actually be a noble person," said Rev. Al Sharpton, president/CEO of the National Action Network.

"There are few men or women who leave such an indelible imprint and impact on the world that they are remembered, honored and celebrated by nations near and far for centuries after they depart," said Marc Morial, President/CEO of the National Urban League. "There are few people for whom even all the words in every language fail to convey the magnitude and meaning of their lives.  Without a doubt in mind or heart, I know that Nelson Mandela is one among a very select few."

Complete Statement of South Africa President Jacob Zuma Upon the Death of President Nelson Mandela

My Fellow South Africans, Our beloved Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, the founding President of our democratic nation has departed. He passed on peacefully in the company of his family around 20:50 on the 5th of December 2013. He is now resting. He is now at peace.

Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father. Although we knew that this day would come, nothing can diminish our sense of a profound and enduring loss. His tireless struggle for freedom earned him the respect of the world. His humility, his compassion, and his humanity earned him their love. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family.

To them we owe a debt of gratitude. They have sacrificed much and endured much so that our people could be free. Our thoughts are with his wife Mrs Graca Machel, his former wife Ms Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, with his children, his grand-children, his great grand-children and the entire family.

Our thoughts are with his friends, comrades and colleagues who fought alongside Madiba over the course of a lifetime of struggle. Our thoughts are with the South African people who today mourn the loss of the one person who, more than any other, came to embody their sense of a common nationhood.

Our thoughts are with the millions of people across the world who embraced Madiba as their own, and who saw his cause as their cause. This is the moment of our deepest sorrow. Our nation has lost its greatest son. Yet, what made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human.

We saw in him what we seek in ourselves. And in him we saw so much of ourselves.Fellow South Africans,Nelson Mandela brought us together, and it is together that we will bid him farewell.Our beloved Madiba will be accorded a State Funeral.I have ordered that all flags of the Republic of South Africa be lowered to half-mast from tomorrow, 6 December, and to remain at half-mast until after the funeral.

As we gather to pay our last respects, let us conduct ourselves with the dignity and respect that Madiba personified.Let us be mindful of his wishes and the wishes of his family.As we gather, wherever we are in the country and wherever we are in the world, let us recall the values for which Madiba fought.

Let us reaffirm his vision of a society in which none is exploited, oppressed or dispossessed by another.Let us commit ourselves to strive together – sparing neither strength nor courage – to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa.Let us express, each in our own way, the deep gratitude we feel for a life spent in service of the people of this country and in the cause of humanity.

This is indeed the moment of our deepest sorrow.Yet it must also be the moment of our greatest determination. A determination to live as Madiba has lived, to strive as Madiba has strived and to not rest until we have realised his vision of a truly united South Africa, a peaceful and prosperous Africa, and a better world.We will always love you Madiba! May your soul rest in peace. God Bless Africa. Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika.

Dec. 1, 2013

National Civil Rights Support Mounting for Marissa Alexander
Unequal Justice in Court Case Illuminated by George Zimmerman Verdict

By Hazel Trice Edney

Marissa Alexander before going to prison and inside of prison. PHOTO: Courtesy, Afro-American Newspaper.

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – National civil rights leaders are mounting support behind a 33-year-old mother who received 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot into the wall of a garage in response to threats of bodily harm from her husband. She is now free on bail while awaiting a new trial.

Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla., is quickly becoming a household name as her case has confounded people across the nation. With a new trial now set for March 31, 2014, millions will watch to see whether justice prevails.

“The members of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women are outraged at the sentencing of Marissa Alexander to a 20-year prison term for discharging her firearm in an effort to protect herself from an abusive partner,” says Michele McNeill Emery, NCBW national president in a statement. “There must be an equitable and comprehensive judicial review in the case of Marissa Alexander.”

The First District Court of Appeals agreed in September, overturning the verdict and granting her a new trial. Released on bail since Nov. 27, Alexander will likely spend Christmas with her infant and other two children. Support from civil rights organizations are lining up with hopes that she will never have to go back.

The announcement of the new trial is a “welcome development in a case that represents the double standards in our justice system,” stated outgoing NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “From the streets to the court house, race continues to influence the judicial process, and it certainly seemed to have played a role here.”

The new trial has been a long time coming. Alexander has spent nearly two years in prison already for the August 1,  2010 incident. She was convicted by a jury in only 12 minutes in May 2012, sending shockwaves through the civil rights community and among women’s advocacy groups. In July last year, hundreds attended an NAACP rally in Jacksonville in support of her.

Illuminating the injustice is the clear comparison in the “stand your ground” case of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted after he shot and killed unarmed teenager, Trayvon Martin.

"The Trayvon Martin and Marissa Alexander cases put Stand Your Ground laws under the microscope,” said a statement from the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.  “The cases brought to light the inequalities that lie within its interpretation and the fact that it is in place in a majority of states underscores that we must fight to repeal the laws.  Gun violence has been an issue in low-income communities for years, but the Sandy Hook tragedy created an urgency to address gun laws.  While Congress failed to act on sensible gun legislation, we must continue to demand action.”

Alexander was not allowed to use the “Stand Your Ground” law as her defense because prosecutors successfully convinced the court that she did not act in self-defense. Meanwhile the Marissa Alexander story is being recounted with increasing passion:

“The prosecutor in this case, Angela Corey, is the same one who only reluctantly charged George Zimmerman in the massacre of Trayvon Martin, the same prosecutor who assembled a flawed legal team, the same prosecutor who believes in the Stand Your Ground laws.  That is, except for Marissa Alexander, who stood her ground against an abusive husband and hurt no one,” wrote columnist Julianne Malveaux. “Her conviction has been thrown out because a judge ruled that the prosecution, not the defense, has the burden of proof.”

Alexander was erroneously asked to prove that she had been beaten, leading to an illegal jury instruction. That instruction is the reason the appellate court is allowing Alexander another chance at justice.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. took to radio with an appeal for her support. “This is such a classic expression of how subjective the Stand Your Ground laws are. One guy murders a man in cold blood and he’s walking free; (a) woman shoots to defend herself from an aggressive husband …and she’s serving 20 years in jail,” he said on the Joe Madison radio show. He encouraged the audience to get involved with the movement, including making an appeal to Florida Gov. Rick Scott.

Alexander’s case grew nationally after she was sentenced to a mandatory 20 years for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Because she fired the shot during the incident, the case fell under Florida's "10-20-life" law, which mandates a 20-year sentence for the use of a firearm during certain crimes.

Alexander’s husband, Rico Gray, told members of the media that his wife first punched him “after he confronted her about texts she had sent to her ex-husband,” the Associated Press reported.

However, in court depositions, Gray admits to having threatened her.

“If my kids wouldn’t have been there, I probably would have put my hand on her,” he said in court depositions. “Probably hit her. I got five baby mammas and I put my hands on every last one of them except for one.”

Alexander is being represented pro bono by former assistant U. S. Attorney Bruce Zimmet of Fort Lauderdale attorney and Mike Dowd, a New York-based attorney, known for his work in the battered women’s movement.

Despite her husband’s version of the story, the court of public opinion appears to be winning, mainly because of the documented court records of his repeated abuse of Alexander.

“In the case of Ms. Alexander, it is public record that she had been victim to repeated incidences of domestic violence and critical injury by this person,” says Emery of NCBW. “Even at the time of this incident per public record she was recovering from a severe physical beating at the hands of the same perpetrator that required hospitalization and resulted in the early birth of her child. It is also public record that Ms. Alexander had asked for protection from abuse from law enforcement from this person. At the time of this incident we think it is no doubt she was afraid and not in the best frame of mind given her history of repeated abuse.”

The NCBW quotes statistics from the Washington, D.C.-based Violence Policy Center.  “The data indicates that Black women were disproportionately murdered at a rate two and a half times higher than Black males at 2.61 percent per 100,000 versus 0.99 per 100,000.The report states that compared to a Black male; a Black female is far more likely to be killed by her spouse or an acquaintance,” NCBW recounts the study titled, “When Men Murder Women, a 2011 Analysis of Homicide Data”. It concludes, “Eighty three percent of black females homicides studied were killed by a black male during the course of an argument.”

Alexander, who had no previous criminal record, rejected a plea deal to take three years in prison, opting for the jury trial instead.

NAACP Florida State Conference President Adora Obi Nweze, says the Alexander case has become a symbol for many injustices. “We have so many cases of injustice in Florida, and while we only hear about one or two, there are so many more that go unreported. We will continue fighting for all the other Marissa Alexanders out there.”