Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013)

The guardians of the American empire once labeled this man a terrorist. Take their lamentations at his passing with a pinch of salt.

Photo: © Eli Weinberg

Mandela is seen here burning his passbook on March 28, 1960, in protest of the Sharpeville massacre. As we follow the news coverage about the death of Nelson Mandela at the age of 95, it is important to remember that he was once labeled a terrorist by the U.S. government. As Democracy Now! noted in a 2004 interview with South African activist Father Michael Lapsley, "The dominant view is that the U.S. was on the right side in South Africa, that it opposed apartheid. But nothing could be further from the truth, particularly when [Ronald] Reagan was president. Reagan labeled the African National Congress (ANC) a notorious terrorist organization, while continuing Washington’s support for the apartheid regime."

Zinn Education Project: Nelson Mandela, Madiba.