Michelle meets Mandela

I was 6 years old when my parents went to see the play Sarafina! They didnt take me with them probably because I was rambunctious or they wanted their own time, but they did bring back a video of the play. Every weekend I would pop this video in the vcr and watch it until the tape no longer worked. I would sing the songs with Sarafina and her classmates including the Our Father as they laid dying and I'd shout along to "Freedom Is Coming Tomorrooow!!!!" with my little fist pumping in the air. Traveling through Soweto, Johanessburg, South Africa, home to Nelson Mandela and very significant freedom movements including that of the Soweto students' peaceful protest on June 16 1976 that led to a deadly attack brought on by police is bittersweet. This little girl from Brooklyn is now standing at the steps of Mandela ' s home and walking through the township where passion, fearlessness and greatness ignited a change. I found a copy of the tape on Ebay at least 10 years ago and haven't opened it since because as an adult it is even deeper now. Over the course of 2 years 600 students were killed as they fought for a fair and proper education. At the time, the Dutch settlers demanded that the schools began instructing students in Afrikaans as it was the language which they who were powerful and rich spoke. Teachers resigned as protest because they were not trained in Afrikaans and students were overwhelmingly suffering in their education as they would be failing exams due to the language barrier. The Civil Rights movement in the States inspired the youth of Soweto to stage a peaceful protest, which led to the deaths of many including Hector Peterson, who was just 13 years old. They were unexpectedly tear gassed and shot after being given 15 minutes to disburse. Thousands of kids expected to move in 15 mins. They stood their ground and the movement began. They choose to gather in the Square near Mandela ' s home because Winnie was there under house arrest and they had hoped that she would come out and address them with words of encouragement. Can you even imagine the political climate and the struggle? Parallels with our struggle at home. As I walked through the Mandela house and touched the walls, and sat by the olive tree where he and his family buried the umbilical cords of his children so they can be near their ancestors, and saw the bullet holes and petro bombing burns to the modest and humble beginnings of a young family man, who only wanted a better tomorrow for his children and his people, it took everything to hold back the tears of awe and love for their determination. His real name is Rolihlahla, which means trouble maker but he was not a trouble maker. He was a human being first, a son, father, husband, brother, freedom fighter and a willing rebel with a noble cause. R.I.P Tata and all who fought for freedom.