for nelson mandela, it was another day in the life of nelson mandela. he's meeting people who are so inspired by him and taken with what he has achieved, and all he does is make you feel comfortable, like you are the important one. >> it's good. tilt it down. >> the reflection. the portrait metaphor of "the man in the mirror" is a metaphor for south africa. his spirit. what he represents is in every single one of the people here. for the portrait it was strong for me that we needed to reflect upon ourselves about what nelson mandela had achieved, and nelson mandela's life. i think given access to shoot that portrait was a life-changing experience for the whole group. we were all very nervous. i photographed him a few times before, but not a proper portrait sitting. there's an intimacy to that. i looked up. all the crew were crying. the 2012 birthday shoot was a special shoot. sending that intimate time with the family and madeba. the family adore him and cherish the time they had with him. for many of the family they lost him for 27 years. to have this

[applause] >> if any of you heard nelson mandela, you sounded just like nelson mandela. it was frightening. notice the great portrait of nelson mandela behind me at the top of the staircase. i will be lobbying soon to replace that with a more current photograph. san francisco is indeed blessed and has been for many, many years. and then somebody comes along and enhances that even more. and only one time has somebody been four times a cabinet member, closest thing we will ever have to a president is the chief of protocol's secretary. charlotte is the chief of protocol, george scultz is her secretary. so on her stairs, in this rotunda, charlotte will present to you her husband and secretary, george schultz. [applause] >> thank you charlotte for that brilliant introduction. we're here to mourn and celebrate the life of nelson mandela. i have on a dark suit and a bright tie to symbolize those sentiments. what did we make of his life? in reflection and thinking about it, he was a man of action he fought continuously, effectively, and as his effects grew, his african national

nelson mandela was a hero of our time. i've asked for the flags at number so downing street to be flown at half-mast. a retweet is a message from nelson mandela. he gave an interview talking about death at the nelson mandela twitter account. he said in 19 necks, death is something inevitable, a man considers to do his duty to his people and his country. then he can rest in peace. so many celebrities are taking to twitter to post their remembrance. oprah when free took to her facebook account. a number of years ago, he said it was one of the greatest honors of her life to be invited to spend private time in africa. also, american film director spike lee posted this miami, this photo on his inthat gram account. that picture with him and mr. mandela there. so often we talk about the declean, it's irresistible for twitter users to post messages on the front pages from where they are. in south africa, we see many people posting coverages on the twitter accounts. the soweto had this good-bye, the united states th washington post

amen. ♪ nelson mandela nelson mandela ♪ nelson mandela [ singing in foreign language ] ♪ nelson mandela nelson mandela ♪ ♪ nelson mandela [ singing in foreign language ] ♪ [ singing in foreign language ] >> lester holt, this is coming after some of the organized prayer,alities musical interlude. >> and we'll soon be hearing from a friend and the family of nelson mandela here. you see that picture right there captures so much. that people of every color who have come to represent will be called a new south africa here. a true tribute to mandela, as you look across this crowd here that has withstood a steady light to moderate rain all morning long. we've also been watching, of course, brian, the collection of dignitaries and we can't really overstate the complexity of the operation of getting the celebrity, the politician, the world leaders in here safely. the south africans said they've been studying the plan for quite some time and working with their counterparts in the u.s. and other b countries to get everyo herere safely. we were on that issue of security -- we were able to get

. >> nelson mandela and the new president is no nelson mandela. south africa has some problems in front of of them. >> we'll take a break. after a break, this is al jazeera america. >> we are back, welcome back to the continuing coverage of the death of nelson mandela. look at this. this is the apollo theatre in harlem. >> that's beautiful. >> memory of nelson mandela. >> remember the days before apartheid was over, you could go to harlem and buy the stalls that the guys were selling, "free nelson mandela." it was nelson mandela central. >> i was actually in a room, in a theatre, and i can't remember the year. i've been trying to think of the year, and he was there. i saw stephen harper of canada, all of canada mourns with the family, and the citizens of south africa, the world had lost one of its great moral leaders. do we have a picture of nelson mandela the rugby team? >> yeah, there was a movie made about that. >> yes. >> this is just a very telling moment. black people in south africa, played soccer, that's the june form that he is wearing wh

nelson mandela, nelson mandela. [cheers and applause] this song is one of the most accurate descriptions of this icon, the founding -- democratic south africa. the old separation movement in the continent. his passing meant an unprecedented outpouring across the world. yet this administration, admiration and celebration. everyone has had a nelson mandela moment. let us begin before by thinkian all heads of state international delegations, we extend our deepest gratitude to for the message for condolences that we continue to receive. be nelson mandela family, south african people and the african continent feels stronger today because we are being completed by millions throughout the world. .. the people and their leaders in an effort to halt the forward march, ordinary forms of organizations would be rendered impossible, but the spirit of the people cannot be quenched until victory is won. the cycle became much about life. and the rest has changed. in the 1940s, the long walk to freedom, it became a volunteer in chie

nelson mandela would do that. you couldn't help but smile when you saw him doing that little chicken wing movement with his arms. many times in africa, people laugh and sing and dance through their sadness and their sorrow. these are people celebrating nelson mandela's life. if you didn't know this was a funeral, he would not know this was a funeral. they are in a stadium. a lot of cheering. people are very happy on this particular day to give what they call the old man a long good-bye. we are in the process of a ten-day funeral service for nelson mandela. >> you always hope at a time like this, that this will somehow cause a recognition of the possibilities of south africa that nelson mandela dreamed of. >> people will tell you there is still work to do in south africa. everyone knows there is still work to do. we will see it remains to be seen what will happen after the death of nelson mandela in this country. bill whittaker is inside the stadium. i know the weather is very dreary. a friend says, that's why we h

not only nelson mandela the political leader, not only nelson mandela the former president of south africa, but for nelson mandela, the father of the nation. nelson mandela put his life on the line to bring an end to apartheid and minority white dominance in the country. on thelooks back segregation that brought the country worldwide infamy. >> apartheid was efficiently born in 1948. it divided south african society into four races -- white, black, colored, asian. public places such as the beach and cinemas and hotels were largely reserved for whites. blacks were not allowed to vote or hold property in white areas. many black people were resettled .n reservations the government granted independence to four of them but then used the independence to strip many black south africans of their citizenship. economic and commercial needs required a black workforce, which cause many black families to be separated. it was a terrible system for family life. just look at what happens to black workers in the mines. they were all taken and were living in hostels next to the minds whether families -- whi

former president jimmy carter reflects on the life and legacy of nelson mandela. >> that spirit of nelson mandela is embedded deeply in the heart and soul of the south africans... >> they worked side by side for freedom, now president carter talks about mandela's global impact. a revealing interview you won't see anywhere else. >> i've never heard him say, that he was grateful to the united states... >> talk to al jazeera with jimmy carter only on al jazeera america >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward the stream is uniquely interactive television. in fact, we depend on you, your ideas, your concerns. >> all these folks are making a whole lot of money. >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> i think you've offended everyone with that kathy. >> hold on, there's some room to offend people, i'm here. >> we have a right to know what's in our food and monsanto do not have the right to hide it from us. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> watch the stream. >> and join the conversation online @ajamstream. >> welcome back. i'm ray suarez, and this is itsel "inside sto

everybody says nelson mandela. because he embodies that moral courage, greater even than physical courage, and that ability to put aside his own bitterness, resentness, sacrifice and all that he lost over those 27 years and all the majority of the people there lost in that undignified and appalling racist regime. and built a future of tolerance and democracy. and that is quite incredible. and so people really do say that he is their hero and tributes are being paid from, as you know, from down street, from all over the world. i spoke to f.w. de klerk, the former president. he said that he was a very, very good man to negotiate with. he really respected him. he was surprised the first time he met him because mandela was so tall and dignified and ram rod straight, he said. and they had a decent working relationship. not without its arguments and spats. >> certainly not without that. christiane, bernie, stand by. up next, there's a huge reaction on social media to nelson mandela's death. political figures and celebrit

nelson mandela. he says, it is time to let go. i said -- yes. he said, it is time to repeal the legislation. tavis: what is amazing is he calls you to tell you that. -- in thisntry country we did not take him off the terrorist list until -- after the nobel peace prize. i went into his house and he said i never thought you would be in my house. tavis: thank you both. i appreciate it. with the passing of nelson mandela, the world has lost a towering force for moral leadership and a kind and inspiring human being. his courage and strength in the face of unrelenting violence and his compassion for those who try to destroy him have inspired all of us who shared in his lifetime and will -- he will continue to inspire generations no doubt for years to come. i want to share a personal memory i have of the man. i was a young assistant to tom bradley and nelson mandela was coming to our city. for days prior i could not sleep through the night. mandela was coming to los angeles and i was plotting about how to position myself to meet him, shake his hand and

it was nelson mandela who created that democracy. that is the miracle that astonished the world and made him such a world figure. he was well known while he was in prison, but when he came out of prison, there was a great question about what would happen. would there be a terrible bloodbath, with they get through the passage to democracy with apartheid? it was because of nelson mandela and his character that they did. the world recognized a peacemaker, and he developed a moral stature in the world that helped him bring south africa into the world community, help them reintegrate into the world terrible it aow role in various hot spots the world. he was very close to president bill clinton. frankly, he could not stand the policies of president george w. bush, which he saw as imperialistic. that was a bit of a public- relations problem for the bush white house. the election of barack obama, the kind of change towards a multiracial society that he saw in south africa as well. it was not just south africa that nelson mandela was revoluti

the young nelson mandela hated to be beaten. >> nelson mandela, the same age played together. young nelson mandela showed qualities beyond those of his playmate. >> madeba was stubborn in his heydays. the following day he would be in your village challenging you to a round of stich fighting. i was heart broken at the time when he left us. >> we are always together at all times. >> that togetherness with friends is broken by the death of his father. he made arrangements for the future of his son. the cause of nelson mandela's life was drastic by the age of 9 he was forced to leave qunu. later he recalled i mourned less for my father to the place i left behind. >> this is where he sent. after an emotional journey with his mother, handing him over to live under the care of rooejened. this was a place where youngsters were groomed for greater things. >> he came like other young boys. to him it was in excitement. when it comes to the great place. the enlightment the enlightment was greater than at his home. >> as nelson mandela moved on, his early home in qunu was highly call viewe

. >>> remembering nelson mandela. the world mourning the loss of a legend morning. the south african president hailed for his courage, his conviction, his decency. i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. we welcome our viewers in the u.s. and arnold the world. >> this is a special edition of "early start" beginning this morning because the world is grieving and, in some ways, celebrating a giant among men. nelson mandela whose unbreakable will and unsurpassed courage brought an end to an era of white domination in south africa. he is dead this morning at the age of 95. mandela was such a global icon with larger than life legend who went from a prison cell to the presidency and he did it with such unmashed grace. i want to bring in arwa damon when is live in johannesburg in south africa. >> reporter: nelson mandela a hero, a legend, an icon. so many of the people we are speaking to here will say that hardly truly encompasses what it was that he meant for this nation and what it was that he allowed this nation to become. behind me is the house where he did pass away

i think that spirit you're hearing outside nelson mandela's home is part of that notion that nelson mandela has transitioned to a different place. we almost think of him as a super human person. i've thought in those months when we were there in south africa, when he first went to the hospital over these weeks and months and through his wisdom he's been preparing the nation an his this world for this. and one of the things that will happen in the immediate af ma aftermath of his passing will be south africa coming together as nelson mandela wanted him to come together. i suspect those not outside singing tonight will hear the news but sad for a moment but it will bring the nation together sort of like the soccer matches did when the country hosted the world soccer cup a few years ago. i guess the one hope one would have is these remembrances of mandela will make a difference in his country today. he so much wanted his country to be united. >> we will join you in hoping for exactly that as dawn breaks across south africa, from washington. let's take a moment here and look back at this life i

> thanks to nelson mandela. >> thanks to nelson mandela's south africa's fight is kept inside. ring. >> it's changed, all the fighting. >> right here, the equipment that nelson mandela would have used. >> out back a security guard showed me equipment nelson mandela would have used. mem bris -- memories of a boxer who showed a different fight. is >> and michael is here with sport. i didn't realise nelson mandela was a boxer. >> a good boxer. >> let's turn to the nfl. adrian peterson, minnesota vikings, was carted off the field with an ankle injury after a tackle by arthur brown. he won the vible player award. he was questionable to play due to a groin injury. he was the leader with 1200 and 8 yards. history made in park city utah. the united states had all three podiums in a world cup world cup bob sled event. el-lana my exercise aja evans took home gold, jaumie grooubel and lol low jones tie toed silver. both of those are track competitors. >> one of the four medals won by jesse owens at the 1936 olympics in berlin sold for $1.46 million - the highest praise paid for a piece of

it quickly gathered pace ♪ free nelson mandela ♪ 21 years in captivity >> reporter: and nelson mandela became the most famous political prisoner on the planet. within months of his release he was holding peace talks and then in 1994 with apartheid abollished nelson mandela became president himself after south africa's first all race elections. >> i have fought very firmly against white domination. i have fought very firmly against black domination. i cherish the idea of the new south africa where all south africans are equal. >> reporter: nelson mandela served just one five year term but remained perhaps the most influential figure in south african politics. certainly the most loved for what he went through, the dignity he displayed, and the change he brought about. but typically for him, mandela gave all the credit to his fellow citizens. >> south africa pass the generations, but it is you, the people, who are the true heros. >> serving one term but very influential. our senior foreign correspondence. i'm being told he is not available right now. we do have a live reporter there on th

gene, you met nelson mandela. take us back that day and share with us your feelings today on what turned out to be the last day of his life. >> i did meet nelson mandela. it was in 1994. it was an official visit to washington that he made and we invited him to lunch at "the washington post" and he accepted. so i was the foreign editor then and it's the kind of lunch that we'd have at "the washington post" in the company board room but we had to get a special big room with lots of tables because every top editor, any editor that had any claim to be in that room was going to be there and, in fact, today several of us were e-mailing because we're trying to pin down exactly what was that date and refresh our recollections. and everyone had this vivid recollection of the man and it was something more than dazzling charisma. it was more than that smile of his that was like sunshine when he trained it on you. but there was -- you know, this is what i wrote about him in the column i wrote for tomorrow. there was steel in

such a full life led by nelson mandela. if you could speak about the escalating international pressure to release him back in 1990, what was that like? this must have been a real global effort. >> it was indeed. it began before that. during the reagan years, initially president reagan is very much against apartheid and he was led to the position finally of opposing apartheid by george schultz. a rising star and a strong presence on foreign policy than a senator from indiana. there was a global push for this from faith leaders and from anti-segregationists here in this country. we heard just now the secretary general of the united nations that no one has done more. no one in our era and generation has done more to fight discrimination than the moral leadership and example of this man who suffered for 27 years yet came out of prison with his wife winnie at his side and she has been imprisoned for 18 months at that time. in the anc, they came out of prison and marched in that march and from then on, his days in prison spoke of

nelson mandela, nelson mandela, there's no one else like you. there's not much else to say, is there? it's an old antiapartheid struggle song. this song has carried through generations of activists in this country. it was no doubt illegal during the apartheid days. it was like a rallying cry to nelson many della when he was locked up in jail. nobody was seen his face. there was a sense he was cut off from the revolution. it became a war cry, a lament, it became a memory for people to sing over and over against the same words -- nelson mandela, nelson mandela, there's no one like you. in the last year particularly we've seen the call kind of a call of thanks. it was sung a lot outside the hospital when these night vigils like this emerged when he was battling that lung infection in opt for three months. it really has become such a simple acknowledgement of a man whose life was so great, so extraordinary, and as barack obama said, it was the arch of history that defines his life. also what i think is key about his images that you're seeing on your

nelson mandela was only 30. he soon became convinced peaceful demonstrations would never be enough to uproot the structure, so he helped form and run an armed grill ha movement. a campaign of bombings in materially 60's, led to his arrest along with others in the movement. convicted by spare as death sentence, he would send more than a quarter of a century, 27 years behind prison walls. 18 of those at the notorious robin island. the pump condemnation, and growing domestic unrest chipped away at apartheid until finally mandela was released from prison. it was february 11th, 1990, the streets flowed with joy. vowing never to go back about what he called the black held of apartheid. >> your commitment, and your discipline, has lift me to stand before you today. but freedom wasn't easy. negotiating to reform the government, had to play peace keeper, trying to temper escalating violence between his party and supporters of the freedom party, who wanted no part of negotiations with the government that had held them dow

. >>> remembering nelson mandela. this morning the world remembering that man, mourning the loss of a legend. south africa's former president hailed for his courage and decency and message of equality. welcome to "early start." i'm john berman. >> i'm michaela pereira. it is 5:00 in the east. >>> nelson mandela whose unbreakable will and unsurpassed courage brought an end to an era of white domination in south africa. he is dead this morning at the age of 95. mandela was such a global icon with larger than life legend who went from a prison cell to the presidency and he did it with such unmashed grace. i want to bring in robin curnow live from johannesburg. set the scene for us today, robin. >> the announcement was made just before midnight on thursday. so many south africans didn't really know that their icon had passed on. it was only when they woke up this morning that they perhaps looked at the newspapers or heard on the radio. much of this country is quite rule countryside and they would have seen headlines like

there will be more about nelson mandela on a cbs news special, nelson mandela: father of a nation. that's tomorrow night at 9:00, 8:00 central time. i'll see you then and i'll see you again. question leave you now with the. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org >>> as of tonight we now know the schedule of official events celebrating the life and mourning the passing of nelson mandela. >> more on that in a moment, but first topper is tracking this storm system that threats to give us our -- threatens to give us our first taste of winter weather. >> right now it's producing rain for us and snow out toward ohio and pennsylvania. it will move slowly south and east. this storm clears us tonight. then a second storm comes and get us over the weekend. we'll zoom in. we've got snow and a mix towards pittsburgh but all for rain for us, a little bit of a mix occurring west of the divide toward garrett county, but for us this is the latest image, just rain keeping the roads wet this friday night. the good news is we won't see freezing temperature

nelson mandela, mr. nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> reporter: it was a long walk nelson mandela took, a walk that lasted nearly a century, a walk to freedom and human dignity. a walk he ended up taking the whole world on along with him. >> on behalf of our rainbow nation, i welcome you all. >> reporter: nelson mandela towered over them. a moral and political leader of surpassing strength, implacable determination, and profound decency. >> i am a product of africa. and the long-cherished dream of a rebirth that can now be realized. so that all of our children may play in the sun. >> reporter: mandela was born in 1918 into the royal family of the tembu people, but he grew up under apartheid, the vicious system of racial segregation and oppression by which the white minority ruled south africa. it's hard today to imagine the pure evil of that system. abject poverty for blacks and severe restrictions on travel, education and employment. whites enjoyed all of the

that's a look at the social media impact of the death of nelson mandela. >>> the death of nelson mandela has touched communities all around the world. in the uk ordinary people are remembering the impact he had on their lives. >> we just saw a picture from outside south africa house on twitter, and that's because many of the anti-apartheid cers fled to london, and it was an issue at the heart of the political awakening of a generation. >> while hundreds have been gathering outside south africa house here in london, site of so many protests in the '70s and '80s. lawrence lee has more. >> reporter: left wingers used to be held to abuse for holding protests. now it's a shrine. people arriving to talk eagerly about what nelson mandela meant to them. this man produced what was clearly a treasured souvenir, his head just peaks from the background during nelson mandela's visit in the 1990s. >> he taught us as much about ourselves as much as how we should treat other people. but that time -- i always say this is the sort of greatest moment of my working life was that day. >> because you saw mand

. >> thanks to nelson mandela. >> thanks to nelson mandela south africa's fight it kept mostly inside the ring. >> right here all of this. this is the equipment that nelson mandela wants to use. outback the security guard shows equipment that nelson mandela used. memories of a boxer that shows a different fight and why. >> president obama arrives in south africa on tuesday for what has been called the african funeral. 100,000 people are expected to attend the memorial attendance in johannesburg. part of nelson mandela's mandate was his willingness to forgive. one of his former guards said he couldn't help but become close. nelson mandela was my prisoner. he was my friend. like a father to me. he was someone you could look up to. i will miss him as a country and i will miss his voice. >> that was christo brand, nelson mandela's prison guard for 12 years, until his release in 1990. >> tsangses heating up over disputed islands in the east chaina sea. sea is expanding its zone to overlap one by china. it covers a rock off the southern coast. let's bring in harry fawcett. ing itself over t

more on your final thoughts on nelson mandela? >> it's not lost on me, we saw strikes of fast food workers in over 100 cities. and nelson mandela was a statesman and a lot of things, but he was also an organizer. he was sentenced to a five-year jail sentence in 1961 for organizing a three-day national strike of workers. this is before he got the life sentence. and i just want to remind viewers that it took thousands if not millions of ordinary people to do extraordinary things in south africa to lead to freedom, so we should absolutely honor nelson mandela and never forget his legacy but also recognize the names of folks that we'll never know who he helped to organize to stand up to lead to freedom and liberation in south africa. >> nelson mandela always said it looks impossible until it is done. joy reid, your thoughts? >> he changed the culture, my cultural orientation was a man from the congo. but he also changed the culture from popstars to sports celebrities. you had the whole world ice late south africa and agree to the mora

there will be more about nelson mandela on cbs news special, nelson mandela, father of a nation, for many of you, it will be on tomorrow night at 6:00. i will see you then. and i will see you sunday on 60 minutes, we are going to leave you now with the empire state building bathed tonight in the colors of the south african flag. for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org game pla ackle any trouble at candlestick this weekend. good eve >>> these two teams don't like each other. >> hoping to avoid scenes, bay area police come up with their game plan to tackle trouble at candlestick this week. good evening, i'm ken bastida. >> i'm juliette goodrich. the 9ers-seahawks game at candlestick on sunday is big and security will be tight. hidden among the fans undercover cops. they will make sure taunting stays friendly. linda yee reports. >> reporter: juliette, you know, football is about tough hitting and tackles. cops want to make sure the action stays on the playing field and not in the stan

nelson mandela, who spent 27 years in prison. he was the first black elected president of stojakovic in 1994. let's learn more about his life. >> a freeman taking his first steps into a new south africa. >> from prisoner to president. nelson mandela's 1990 release from jail signaled the end of south africa's racist policy of apartheid. he would go on to become the untry's first true democratically elected leader. >> i, nelson mandela do here swear to be faithful to the republic of south africa. >> born to a chief of a small village, mandela was one of 13 children and the first member of his family to attend school. in the 1930's he began opposing authority and the authorities that made colored south africans second-class citizens. as white south africa became more aggressive, so did he. as the head of the armed wing of the african national congress, mandela led violent sabbatini town hall attacks and was arrested and tried in 1962. he would spend 27 years in jail, but he was never forgotten. eventually international and internal

. >> talk about the life of nelson mandela, and what he means to so many people. >> nelson mandela is a symbol of hope, freedom, a time in this world, and in our country and theirs when equality did not s did not reign free and is a symbol for young americans growing up understanding him in history books and i had the pleasure of meeting him when i lived in south africa. i understood why he captured the hearts of a generation and world. >> there's the picture. tell us about that picture and what happened. >> there it is, there i am with reverend jessie jackson. he's taking the phone so the reverend can put his wife on the phone to give a hello. the morning i met former president nelson mandela. he spoke to me in an incredible voice that is unique and said, "morgan, are you here to visit me." he was reading four papers, one in africans, english, zulu. his mind was sharp. he was brilliant, vibrant, all the things you would expect. >> when you lived in south africa, what was it like when you were there? >> when i was there it was surprisingly still very racially tense. this is something

>> it was "nelson, nelson." >> "nelson, nelson." >> i never thought that would hear that at a rugby stadium. >> we didn't know what hit us. it was just the most phenomenal -- it was really quite a thing. >> reporter: the image of the joyous mandela celebrating with the national team is mirrored in every corner of the once broke country. it's a turning point. south africans at last are rejoicing as one. >> it was freedom all over. the moment that the cup was handed over, to madiba, i told myself these are people that i have to build this country together. there's one south africa. all my hatred is going gain me absolutely nothing. >> madiba took my hand and he shook it and said "thank you very much, very much for what you've done for south africa." i said, "madiba, you got it wrong. thank you for what you have done for south africa." nouns when. >> announcer: when we come back the private and personal mandela, secrets his children and grandchildren tell us, and they are nothing you would ever expect. >> he likes to gossip. he'll say, do you know that that one got in trouble for such and such

nelson mandela's day is done. the news expected and still unwelcome reached us in the united states and suddenly our world became somber. our skies were lead ened. his day is done. >> schieffer: we're going to close our broadcast this morning with your poem, but i wanted to ask you, how did you come to write this? how did this come about and when did you do it? >> thank you. the state department approached me -- state department telephoned me when he was very sick about a year and half ago asked if i would write a poem -- write a tribute to him from my people, from the american people. and i said, yes. i wrote it, but also had to agree that i would not even speak about it or release it until 48 hours after he was actually dead and i agreed. so i did it and i sent it to them, to the state department. the state department sent a crew down and i recorded it. but then i never mentioned it again to anyone, including -- close friends and family members. i just wouldn't do it. >> schieffer: you didn't mention it to us, w

they all played nelson mandela on the big screen. >> and this boy's courageous journey inspired nelson mandela, and enkozi johnson, packed arenas and captured a nation's heart with his simple message. >> we are all the same. >> announcer: >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, we bring you a different kind of story about nelson mandela who died yesterday at 95. it is already saturday morning in south africa, and overnight his flag-draped coffin began its journey back to his ancestral home to be buried. but long before he became a global father figure, when mandela was locked for decades in a prison cell, a loan l lone voice, protesting brutal racial policies. this broadcast made a commitment to cover his struggle when few others were. "nightline" has been there every step of the way on his long walk to freedom. here's abc's john donvan with our story. >> in the epic that is the story of nelson mandela as south africa, a small but important chapter happened to have been played by an american news program. ♪ this one, "nightline." on a february afternoon in 1990, tv stati

he met nelson mandela shooting his film 12 disciples of nelson mandela. well, it is a pleasure to talk to you, what are your moments at this hour? >> well, deeply saddened with this great man, he stood for so much. and his vision was so powerful. all the years and also -- becoming president and giving up the power. >> the power -. >> and i think it is so t for our people. >> and we have such a great loss. >> hang on, i know you want to echo this point. it was a big deal. >> yeah. and stepping down may have been his biggest legacy. and -- about 80% of them stayed on about nine terms too long. >> we were just talking about zimbabwe. >> when he came on, he held a lot of prompt, nelson -- look, he was an older guy, he put in his time 27 years at rob been island and being president. the fact that he moved on, there are nobody who perfect what has happened in south africa, and that his successors lived up to his mantle, but at least he had successors. >> yeah, i would agree. you know he -- when nelson mandela was went underground after sharkville, the south afr

the ban on the anc was lifted, and on february 11th, 1990 nelson mandela walked to freedom. >> nelson mandela, free at last and back among his people. >> i thank you all in the name of peace. >> reporter: 27 years in prison had not weakened mandela's resolve. >> as long as the government has not -- >> reporter: but he also urged restraint, even forgiveness telling blacks to "throw their guns into the sea" and reassuring anxious whites. >> we want them to feel safe. >> reporter: mandela's courage and sacrifice were recognized around the world. in america he was welcomed as a hero. mandela and declerk were awarded the nobel peace prize in 1993. the following year in the first mixed race election in south africa's history, nelson mandela was elected president. >> today is the day like no other before it. >> reporter: we were the first to interview him on that first morning as president-elect. mandela tempered south africa's joy when he said healing his country would take time. >> it cannot be done overnight. it will take one year, two years, even as much as five years. >> reporter: from

nelson mandela just pointed out he did not destroy. in almost like a gorbachev or a nelson mandela at another where they were able to turn, but they do not destroy, they do not -- later if nelson mandela had gone in a different direction, it might have led to a horrible, horrible bloody conflict that would have consumed that entire area. but he didn't. that is the power of one individual in the moral force that i think people even if they are the powerful as you see them walking in here, they are all moved by this one man who, from a prison cell, was able to change things and the power of his ideas that really informed people and informed president barack obama what mandela wrote and thought about what mandela wrote and many, many other people. >> jill, thanks. >> we saw ellen johnson-sirleaf. >>> westbound. i'm anderson cooper joined by christiane amanpour and robin curnow. the president of south african took the field to a large ovation. people are eager, i think, for this to start. is that robert mu -- >> no. >> he is coming but lot

millions are mourning nelson mandela. he was a symbol of freedom and the strength of the human spirit in south africa and beyond. john and diana. >> in the 27 years he was incarcerated, he organized protests and got his law degree and even though he was only allowed one visitor a year and write or receive one letter every six months. so he had little contact with his own family. >> amazing. he won over everybody in that 30 years of incarceration, winning over prison guards, walking out and renouncing fierce of hatred. he said it only clouds the mind. this is a man as soon as he walked out embraced anyone who oppressed him and what a remarkable thing. he was raised as a son of a tribal leader. his nickname was troublemaker. isn't that amazing? little did they know? he certainly was. >> yes. >>> oprah winfrey's also weighing in on mandela's passing. she says it was one of her greatest honors to be invited to his home. and called him humble, graceful and heroic. she called him a gift to us all, and she hosted mandela on her

nelson mandela's grandson mandla is one of them. >> the grandson of nelson mandela that the world cast its eyes on south africa. and took notice of the severe and organised repress of black south africans. yet it was also through nelson mandela that the world would lend the spirit of endurance and the triumph of forgiveness, and the beauty of reconciliation. >> one of the final speeches was delivered by the current south african president jacob zuma, who described nelson mandela as a towering leader. >> so many things have been said about madeba, because he has done so many things. he has distinguished himself so many times. in everything you can think of. he combines to things that is not easy to do, to combine practices. he did it more than many. >> here is the team covering events. first to the eastern cape. and tania paige in pretoria outside the a.n.c. such a feel after a week of celebrating the formal sombre mood. >> absolutely. there was a much more sombre solemn mood at the memorial service as compared to the one on tuesday, the big one in the stadium, lots of members of public

they all played nelson mandela on the big screen. >> and this boy's courageous journey inspired nelson mandela, and enkozi johnson, packed arenas and captured a nation's heart with his simple message. >> we are all the same. >> announcer: keep it rig i want you to be kind.ff i want you to be smart. super smart. i want one thing in a doctor. i want you to be handsome. i want you to be awesome. i don't want you to look at the chart before you say hi...david. i want you to return my emails. i want you to keep me doing this for another sixty years. at kaiser permanente, we want you to choose the doctor that's right for you. find your perfect match at kp.org and thrive. >>> good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, we bring you a different kind of story about nelson mandela who died yesterday at 95. it is already saturday morning in south africa, and overnight his flag-draped coffin began its journey back to his ancestral home to be buried. but long before he became a global father figure, when mandela was locked for decades in a prison cell, a loan l lone voice, protesting brutal ra

we are talking about the passing of nelson mandela. status quo in south africa before the end of apartheid was pretty good if you were white. it's a good place to be. it's a beautiful relinquish country and labor was cheap. we're now many years past that. where are we when you look at this country? and i know you know it well. are we where you think we should be so far into the end of apartheid? >> well, legal me answer that by referring to my grandson who was in the peace corps in south africa. he was in the first peace corps group domg this country. his name is jairch in a small village, he wrote a -- jason for in a small village. he wrote a book, power line, a power line went over the village where he was, which was a black village and it delivered electricity to a white city that was down the line. and he described the situation after nelson mandela was no longer president. that was still almost total ly separate or different between average black person who lived in south africa and the white people who lived in the villages. so i

death of nelson mandela. this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. we're back with more of our special coverage of the passing of nelson mandela who died today at the age of 95. as you might imagine, at this hour, reaction to his loss, is pouring in from around the world and the nation of south africa now begins a state of mourning. our south african-based correspondent is with us from outside the mandela family home in johannesburg. as we said in our first half hour, this is a nation many of whom went to bed last night who ll

one thing is abundantly clear, that when nelson hit harlem, when nelson was freed, when nelson became president, people of african descent all over the world and especially in my harlem, he gave us a gift that the country never gave us. >> donna brazil, you went to south africa to help in the elections in advance of '94. when you look back at your own life, i know you say mandela was a tremendous inspiration for you. but i think it's important that we also remember the horrors of apartheid, the reality of it. i think for many people who didn't grow up underneath it, it's hard to imagine what it was actually like. >> well, just talking to people in south africa, what they describe at times the segregation, of course, lack of jobs, opportunities, the fear of going into another neighborhood without proper credentials or papers. it was quite heart-blareaking b at the same time inspirational. they wanted, they yernd for freedom. they supported nelson mandela. they looked forward to the election of 1994 and they celebrated. they celebrated by standing in lines, anderson, for almost 24 hours

nelson mandela married a gain. the bride was graca mandela, a union celebrated by all. >> my wife and i. >> a union that lasted for the rest of his life. >> my wife and i say thank you very much. >> but before he died there was a chance for the world to thank him. on a chilly winter's night nelson mandela made a last appearance at an event. acknowledging the crowd and stirring hearts as the world cup football final was held for the first time in africa. staging a number of miles away from the sow wetto home where nelson mandela lived. in recent times there was a fleeting sight of ambulances carrying him to and from hospital. a chest infection diagnosed when he was in prison continuing to reoccur. the images were broadcast on state television, a grinning jacob zuma visiting his presidential predecessor, unaware of what was going on around him. the only visible reaction to the flash of a camera as nelson mandela was thrown into the public domain. the images come and go. this will be left behind, the colours of a demo

until the last breath nelson mandela fought the odds as he had done all his life. >> nelson mandela's legacy were emblazoned in the sky all those years ago. above all the legacy is found in the minds of ordinary south africans, black and whid, the people he led to freedom. >> jessie duarte was nelson mandela's special assistant. she told us what it was like working with him. >> we had a good working relationship. madiba was a strict employee, but strict in the sense of much more strict on himself. he was punk tul -- punk tulle. he had great ideas about meeting people. he needed to meet the people of south africa and talk to them about the future and where we needed to go. he spent a great deal of time talking to the people at home and engaging as he did with many african leaders to talk about un iteming the countryman. madiba's greatest wish was to reunite the african continent and believes we should un item the people of south africa. in many ways he was a symbol of freedom in progress. on a personal note, you know that he's gone, but will live on in the hearts of many people. i was

we are talking about the passing of nelson mandela. status quo in south africa before the end of apartheid was pretty good if you were white. it's a good place to be. it's a beautiful relinquish country and labor was cheap. we're now many years past that. where are we when you look at this country? and i know you know it well. are we where you think we should be so far into the end of apartheid? >> well, legal me answer that by referring to my grandson who was in the peace corps in south africa. he was in the first peace corps group domg this country. his name is jairch in a small village, he wrote a -- jason for in a small village. he wrote a book, power line, a power line went over the village where he was, which was a black village and it delivered electricity to a white city that was down the line. and he described the situation after nelson mandela was no longer president. that was still almost totally separate or different between average black person who lived in south africa and the white people who lived in the villages. so i

some of the staff members of the nelson mandela foundation have served nelson mandela for over 20 years. it's encouraging to them to see how they have pulled together in the last ten days. we're hoping that we at the nelson mandela foundation together with the other two legacy institutions, nelson mandela children's fund and the mandela house foundation will help keep the legacy alive. >> reporter: we've had much talk of the legacy over this mourning period. what is the tangible legacy that you all see through organizations like yours? >> you look at madiba loved children, for example, and the work of the nelson mandela children's fund, it's important that we support their work to ensure that the children are treated well, that we don't have stories of children that are raped. that we have stories of children that go missing. those things then get reduced. in terms of the mandela foundation, there's issues of leadership in the continent. if we can have a change in terms of how the continent leads, where leaders stay forever, we can then have the legacy of mandela. then in the nelson man

nelson mandela was a passionate sports fan. he trained to be a boxer and understood the name of the game. he once said that sports has the power to change the world, the power to inspire and unite people in a way that little else does. and last night, the nba paid tribute to nelson mandela with a moment of silence. >> i remember as a kid my parents -- he was the one person who when you hear his name everything stops. he gets the ultimate respect from everybody. >> i think thing that sticks out about him is here he goes to jail for 27 years and comes out aet -- a better person, a better leader, and was able to make a sure difference in south africa. >> tiger woods and his late father earl had the privilege of meeting nelson mandela back in 1988. he said that mandela's aura had a lasting impact. >> he certainly had an impact on my life and certainly my father, and i think that time frame in which he came out, could have -- the country could have fallen apart, and he lead it to where it's at now, and, you know, he -- and the world

and on february 11th, 1990, nelson mandela emerged. [ speaking foreign language ]. >> nelson mandela speaks after 27 years. >> progress and fellow south africans i greet you all in the name of peace. democratic and freedom for all. i stand here before you not as a profit, but as a humble servant for you, the people. >> after 27 years in prison, when nelson mandela was released, he led the negotiations for the anc for the end of apartheid and apartheid was dismentaled. in 1994, nelson mandela was elected the first president of south africa in the first election ever held in that country where all adult citizens were welcome to vote regardless of race. in voting that took three days, april 27th is now a national holiday in south africa. it's called freedom day. and when it came time to sign the new constitution for south africa, which eliminated all vestiges of law by race, president nelson mandela went to sharpville to sign the constitution. today, nelson mandela died at home. his family says it was his wish to be buried in the town that he was born. joining us now is congressman lewi

at the time nelson mandela was in his early 40s. he had joined the african national congress, the anc, way back in 1944. the anc opposing apartheid had been organized as non-violent resistance. but after sharpville, they decided maybe that wasn't enough. after sharpville they decided they would form a paramilitary wing and nelson man delg la was one of the anc leaders who went undergroutd to help it. they would target infrastructure and try to sabotage the state. after sharpville the government of south africa started mass arrests of anc leaders and other activists. they banned the a nchnc. they made it illegal to be a part of that group. nelson mandela was arrested in 1961, again in 1962 and convicted of traveling illegally. they sentenced him to five years hard labor on robben island. while he was already serving that sentence they put him on trial again, this time for sabotage. and they convicted him, and they sentenced him to life in prison, to life on robben island. so in 1964 he began a new sentence that was a life sentence, a

dyson, we talk about nelson mandela, the politician, nelson mandela the moral leader. also a man of impeccable psychological insight and emotional intelligence. >> incredible. the kind of arc of his moral intelligence is rather incredible. it's rooted in practical principles but shows what motivates people. how their psychies can be damaged, but also uplifted. in that sense you've got to be a major motivator and inspirer and understand what moves your opponent, what moves your enemy, what moves your ally, and foster the alliances and allegiances necessary to make the nation stronger. i think in that sense he was a remarkable human being. >> and we said, dr. frasier, so much of that gained in prison, so much insight gained in those times in prison, were there any moments -- forgive me if you don't know the answer, but were there any moments when he feared or got close to the breaking point? >> that i don't know. but i can imagine as a human being one would. in 27 years, not just in jail, not just in the cell, but in hard labor. we forget, i think, often that he was out