Dec. 7, 2013
And the Mighty Oak Doth Fall
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - No matter how large, how strong, how revered or important, the cycle of life consumes all and, in turn, generates rebirth.
As a child in rural Louisiana, I grew up near a large majestic oak tree. During the summer it provided shade from the sweltering heat and served as a natural playground for children brave enough to explore the crooks and bends of its limbs. Like some old sage, it stood as a monument to the past – a testament to all that we had endured and overcome. It also stood as a guarantor of the future, giving reassurance that, despite any challenge we met in the future, we would overcome.
One can only imagine my sense of loss when a bolt of lightning felled that mighty oak and seemingly brought its most significant purpose to an abrupt end.
Although metaphorically similar, the news today of the death of President Nelson Mandela brought an even greater sting and gut-wrenching pain than I experienced upon the loss of my favorite oak. Coincidentally, Mr. Mandela’s Xhosa birth name, Rolilahla, means pulling the branch of a tree. What a mighty branch he was!
On behalf of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc., of which I serve as National Chair, and as a life-long advocate of civil and human rights, I express my deepest sorrow on the passing of our much loved, admired, respected, courageous and revered President Mandela. He will never be forgotten.
To those who’ve opened their ears and minds to world events during the last 25 years, there’s no need to explain who President Mandela is. Similar to those rare few who walk on a higher plane, Mr. Mandela’s life spoke volumes for him and left no questions of character unanswered.
As a staff member for the late Congressman Mervyn Dymally, I was provided the rare opportunity to meet Mr. Mandela. To say that he was an emotionally imposing presence is an understatement. His handshake and embrace were magic! His smile would melt the hardest of hearts. Like a school girl, I thought I would never again wash my hand that he had touched. Of course, as time went on, I had to do just that, but I remained engulfed in the magic of that moment!
President Mandela was a man who understood the power of goodness, decency and forgiveness. He fully embraced and lived by these words. He leaves a magnificent example well worth the world’s emulation. My heart goes out to President Mandela’s family and the people of South Africa. Thank you for sharing him with all of us.
The challenge for us during this world-altering experience is to dedicate ourselves to the maintenance and regeneration of the example Mr. Mandela demonstrated. Our current challenge is to dedicate ourselves, as he did, to the principle of valuing every human being. Like him, we must commit to the pursuit of human justice everywhere. Just as he did, we must open our hearts and minds to new ideas that will allow us to grow into even greater instruments of positive change.
In 1964, in a speech at the conclusion of his trial for treason, Mr. Mandela gave the world a message that will endure for the ages:
"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. 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 will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to see realised. But, my Lord, if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
(Dr. E. Faye Williams is Chair of the National Congress of Black Women, www.nationalcongressbw.org, 202/678-6788).