June 13, 2008

A Modern Hero

As he celebrates his 90th birthday, Nelson Mandela continues to be an inspiration

By Jessie Maxwell

Every year on July 18, schoolchildren gather on Nelson Mandela's doorstep to sing him "Happy Birthday." And every year, Mandela lights up with his famous, gentle smile and hugs each child, thanking him or her for the song. This year, Mandela enjoyed a low-key 90th birthday at his home in Qunu, South Africa. A group of grandchildren serenaded him with the birthday song. He was surrounded by gifts that had come in from around the world.

DENIS FARRELL—AP Students from Bertrams Junior School celebrated Mandela's birthday with a giant cake at the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

But Mandela didn't need a large celebration. He used the occasion to spread his messages of peace, freedom, equality and service. "There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate," he said. He pointed out that although he is grateful to have been able to lead a long life, people who live in the poverty-stricken towns of South Africa are not as fortunate. "If you are poor, you are not likely to live long," he said.

Cry Freedom

South Africans call Mandela "Madiba," an honorary title adopted by older members of his clan. South Africans love and respect Mandela because he helped unite the nation after years of racism and segregation. He fought for racial equality and opposed a government policy called apartheid (a-par-tate). Apartheid means, "to keep apart."

Under South Africa's apartheid laws, white people were separated physically and legally from non-white people. Oftentimes, this meant that non-whites couldn't go to school or get good jobs. Mandela fought hard to overthrow the unjust laws. He wanted South Africa to be a democratic nation that treated all of its citizens equally.

In 1944, Mandela co-founded the youth league of the African National Congress, a group that fought for equality. In 1962, he was arrested and sentenced to life in jail. But he continued to fight for what he believed in. He helped negotiate an end to apartheid laws from his jail cell.

Mandela was freed from prison in 1990 and elected president in South Africa's first fully representative democratic election in 1994. After serving a five-year term, Mandela stepped down as president. He has devoted himself to fighting illiteracy, poverty, and HIV/AIDS.

Birthday Festivities

Across South Africa, organizations hosted celebrations in Mandela's honor. At Drakenstein prison, where Mandela was imprisoned for a short time, prisoners created portraits to honor him. In Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city, children gathered at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a charity that Mandela set up, which works to promote social justice. The children enjoyed a giant birthday cake.

Madiba's Rules

TIME magazine's managing editor, Richard Stengel, is close friends with Mandela. In the 1990s, Stengel spent almost two years working with Mandela on his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Last month, Stengel and his sons visited Mandela.

The July 21, 2008, issue of TIME features Mandela on its cover. Stengel shares "Madiba's Rules," which are eight lessons the world can learn from Mandela's extraordinary leadership style. One of the rules is "remember to smile." Today, the world smiles with Nelson Mandela. Happy Birthday, Madiba!

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