The world lost one of the greatest men it has ever seen in early December. Nelson Mandela passed away at the age of 95, leaving behind a peaceful triumph for Africans after centuries of imperialism and oppression. South Africans have been mourning their ‘Madiba,’ since his death.

The man who led South Africa through the darkness of Apartheid and into the light of democracy will be remembered as one of the most important leaders to have ever lived, along with the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Mandela is most known for his much deserved presidency in South Africa as well as his peaceful patience during his 27 years in jail. Much like MLK Jr., he chose to protest peacefully. He simply remained calm, and accepted his sentence to jail, despite obvious racial prejudice. He firmly grasped the idea that people of all colors needed to work together in order to rebuild Africa, and never gave up on this dream.

Mandela became a figure for freedom all across the world and despite having a smirk and a gleam in his eye during interviews, he still remained humble. Amongst the fame and media attention, his original priorities remained. He made sure that he didn’t get caught up in the limelight so that he could ultimately achieve his goal.

Many people mourned the death of Mandela at his memorial on December 10th.south  Africans may lose hope in their countriey, now that they are missing a hugely influential figure. However, Mandela would not want that at all. He would want the people of Africa to stay strong and not cry for him. Despite the common perception that Mandela achieved all of what he wanted for the world, he never was able to completely fulfill his goals. People still need to continue the positive changes for south Africa which he started. The problems have not yet disappeared. The gap between the rich and the poor still looms large. What the world truly needs is another generation of leaders like him, who will take these countries forward, out of the valley of the shadow of death. Mandela’s death reminds us of a lesson he taught the entire world: that no matter what the obstacle is, it can always be overcome with kindness and focus.

Ziomek may be reached at [email protected]

Dulude may be reached at [email protected]