Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

Yesterday we lost a hero of the world at the age of 95.   Nelson Mandela from South Africa was imprisoned for many years because he spoke out against whites ruling over South Africa with the blacks coerced into a state of less than second class citizenry, apartheid.  Blacks and Whites lived apart from each other.  While in prison with other black demonstrators,  Mandela worked in the salt mines and his tear ducts were burned thus making it impossible for him to shed tears.   He cried in his heart.   Out of prison, he became the first black president South Africa.

Like Mahatma Gandhi, both believed in nonviolence.

As an aside, one of my favorite composers, Philip Glass, wrote an opera about Gandhi --  Satyagraha.  My opera guru, Karen Khusro let me know it was to be performed in PBS and I saw it ---- and LOVED it.  No subtitles, the music and the staging is all that is necessary to follow the story.