“Mr. Mandela has spent 67 years making the world a better place. We’re asking you for 67 minutes.”
Celebrate the legacy of South Africa’s former President Nelson Mandela today on Mandela day and do something for your community! Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela turns 91 on Saturday, July 18, and he continues to inspire hope and belief in justice against all odds. The focus of celebrations, which have been planned around the world, is community service. Mandela said in a videotaped message:
“We are humbled by the call for an annual Mandela Day in our honour. It is our hope that people will dedicate their time and effort to improve the conditions within their own communities…”
You can make a big difference in small ways. You can help out at home, take an hour to clean up your neighborhood, read to someone younger or read to your elders — the list is endless! Add your imprint to the interactive handwall. And stop by the Loft and check out this book on Nelson Mandela by Bill Keller, a New York Times journalist in South Africa in the early 1990s and currently the NY Times’ executive editor. 
Did you know:
• Both his mother and his son died while Nelson Mandela was in prison. He was denied permission to attend their funerals.
• Mandela was 44 years old when he entered prison; he was 71 when he was released.
• Mandela opened the first black-owned legal firm in South Africa with fellow lawyer Oliver Tambo in 1952.
• The exiled Oliver Tambo launched an international campaign for the release of his friend in 1980.
• Mandela was elected President in South Africa’s first multiracial elections in 1994.
Happy Birthday, Madiba.
