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

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.

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

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.

Affordable Care Act: A New Weapon in the Fight Against AIDS by Marc H. Morial

Dec. 2, 2013

Affordable Care Act: A New Weapon in the Fight Against AIDS
By Marc H. Morial

marcmorial

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - “Blacks account for more new HIV infections, people estimated to be living with HIV disease, and HIV-related deaths than any other racial/ethnic group in the U.S.” Kaiser Family Foundation

Sunday, December 1, marked the 25th observance of World AIDS Day. It was a reminder of how far we have come since 1981 when several previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles were found to be infected with a mysterious and fatal immune deficiency. In the three decades since, the disease has claimed more than 35 million lives and has become a global pandemic. The World Health Organization reports that 35.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV today.

But, according to the United Nations, “New HIV infections among adults and children were estimated at 2.3 million in 2012, a 33 percent reduction since 2001…AIDS-related deaths have also dropped by 30 percent since the peak in 2005 as access to antiretroviral treatment expands”

Here in the United States, a little more than a million Americans are living with HIV infection today. Partly because of longer life expectancies for people with HIV, over the past decade, the number of people living with the infection in the U.S. has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained stable. But we should not mistake better manageability of the disease as an indication that it has become a minor problem. The pace of new infections continues at far too high a level – particularly among gay men, African Americans and Latinos. And African Americans continue to experience the most severe burden of HIV, compared with other races and ethnicities.

Blacks represent approximately 14 percent of the U.S. population, but according to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they account for an estimated 44 percent of new HIV infections and nearly half (44 percent) of people living with HIV infection. Since the epidemic began, more than 260,800 blacks have died of AIDS. Unless the course of the epidemic changes, at some point in their lifetime, an estimated 1 in 16 black men and 1 in 32 black women will be diagnosed with HIV infection. But more help than ever before is available, including new benefits in the Affordable Care Act that remove barriers to insurance coverage, and provide better coverage options for many people living with HIV.

Starting January 1, 2014, no one can be denied health insurance or charged more because of a pre-existing health condition, such as HIV. Insurers will also no longer be allowed to limit how much they will spend on a person’s medical care – over a year or a lifetime, including people living with HIV. And plans sold through the health insurance marketplaces must provide a minimum set of benefits that should prove helpful for HIV care, including prescription drugs, doctor visits, hospital care, mental health care and certain preventive services, including HIV tests.

The National Urban League also remains a major source of help. We are a partner organization in the Act Against AIDS Leadership Initiative (AAALI), a network of national-level organizations that focus on African Americans, black men who have sex with men (MSM), and the Latino community. Launched in 2009 by CDC and the White House, AAALI is a five-year national campaign to combat complacency about HIV and AIDS in the United States. Urban League affiliates around the country also offer HIV awareness services and campaigns in their local communities. While much progress has been made, the fight against AIDS is not over.

Marc Morial is president/CEO of the National Urban League.

World Mourns Mandela, Icon for Justice

Dec. 5, 2013

STORY WILL BE UPDATED ON SUNDAY, DEC. 8

World Mourns Mandela, Icon for Justice
By Hazel Trice Edney

(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.

"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". 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. 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.

Full details of his memorial service and other activities of honor had not been announced by this deadline. A state funeral and memorial service wil be held in the Johannesburg soccer stadium. Flags are flying at half staff beginning 10 official days of mourning.

Events in the days to come will no doubt draw heads of state and 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, Mandela 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."

Study: Black Women Falling Behind in STEM Fields by Zenitha Prince

Dec. 1, 2013

Study: Black Women Falling Behind in STEM Fields

By Zenitha Prince

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from the Afro American Newspaper

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Women of color—particularly Black women—are being left behind in the increasingly important fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, according a new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

President Obama in 2008 announced his administration’s goal of making the United States a world leader in STEM fields.

“Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century,” Obama said at the time. “That’s why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national priority.”

But according to the institute’s report, “Accelerating Change for Women Faculty of Color in STEM: Policy, Action, and Collaboration,” women faculty of color including Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and those who identify with more than one race, are playing a minimal role in advancing this agenda and are significantly underrepresented in academic STEM-related jobs.

In 2010, minority women professors constituted 2.1 percent of STEM faculty at four-year colleges and universities in the United States, though they constituted 13 percent of the U.S. working-age population.

Conversely, White men held 58 percent of these positions, while making up 35 percent of the working age population. White women held 18 percent of STEM positions, though constituting 36 percent of the working age population; men of color held 18 percent of positions in the disciplines while making up 14 percent of the working age population.

In raw numbers, only 6,400 women of color with STEM doctorates hold assistant, associate, or full professorships, compared with 19,800 White women, 20,500 men of color, and 65,100 White men.

Representation also differed across disciplines. Underrepresented minority women faculty were most highly employed in life sciences positions and had the least representation in computer science and mathematics.

The report was the result of a meeting in May of 50 experts who sought to understand and find ways to reverse the trend.

Among the many factors that have hindered the progress of women of color in academic STEM careers are hostile work environments, lack of mentorship, challenges to maintaining a proper work-life balance and the failure of many academic departments to adopt a more multicultural perspective, the report concluded.

The conclave of professors, academic administrators, and representatives of government, professional societies, the corporate sector, and women’s organizations offered recommendations to speed the progress of women of color in STEM. Those recommendations included providing targeted funding to women of color; revising hiring and promotion policies, such as requiring diverse search committees for new faculty hires; providing culturally sensitive mentors and developing a score card system to measure institutions’ individual progress on diversity.

“Ensuring that women faculty of color have the supports to pursue and advance in STEM academic careers is increasingly important, especially given the projected growth of these fields in the coming years,” Cynthia Hess, director of the study and the report’s co-author, said in a statement. “To increase the number of highly-skilled STEM workers and strengthen the economic security of U.S. families, we must engage the entire STEM talent pool.”

The full report is available at: "Accelerating Change for Women Faculty of Color in STEM: Policy, Action, and Collaboration."