Whereas, February 11, 2010, marks the 20th anniversary of
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela’s release from prison for his actions as a leading
member of the African National Congress’ (ANC) efforts to dismantle the rule of
apartheid;
Whereas apartheid was a system of racial segregation that
restricted and prohibited Black South Africans and other people of color from
utilizing certain public, educational, and health care facilities and services,
and opportunities to access land, property, and wealth;
Whereas, at 4:14 p.m. on February 11, 1990, Mandela exited
the Victor Verster prison in Paarl ending 27 years, 6 months, and 1 week of
unbroken incarceration;
Whereas the release of Nelson Mandela resulted from
decades of international pressure through sanctions, including the
Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 and the condemnation of apartheid by countless
leaders, artists, intellectuals, and activists in Africa and around the
world;
Whereas Mandela used the Rivonia Trial as a forum to
eloquently express his political beliefs, and privately decided that, if
sentenced to death, he would not appeal the decision;
Whereas Mandela spent the first 18 years of his
incarceration at the infamous maximum security jail on Robben Island, and 7
years at facilities in Cape Town and Paarl before he was finally
released;
Whereas on the day of his release on February 11, 1990,
71-year-old Nelson Mandela addressed close to 60,000 people of various ethnic
backgrounds who gathered at City Hall in Cape Town to witness him giving a
speech that was televised throughout South Africa and watched by tens of
millions around the world;
Whereas his release was met with elation by supporters of
the ANC who were rejoicing and dancing in the streets of Cape Town and
throughout South Africa;
Whereas Nelson Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk
successfully fought to hold together the threads of peaceful
negotiation;
Whereas on the day of his release, Nelson Mandela quoted
the famous words from his testimony during his 1964 trial that resulted in his
27-year incarceration, “I have fought against white domination and I have
fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and
free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal
opportunities.”;
Whereas despite his imprisonment, Nelson Mandela never
wavered from his resolve to create a free and democratic South Africa and
initiated a dialogue with the apartheid regime, which culminated in his
eventual release and the reinstatement of the ANC as a legitimate political
party days before his release in 1990;
Whereas the release of Nelson Mandela was a defining
moment in the global effort to end apartheid;
Whereas a series of negotiations between the South African
Government and the ANC resulted in the abolishment of apartheid and an election
in which almost 20,000,000 South Africans of all ethnicities cast their vote
under a national policy of universal suffrage;
Whereas Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as President of the
Republic of South Africa on May 10, 1994, and pledged to lead a “united,
democratic, non-racial and non-sexist government” for all people of South
Africa;
Whereas the presidency of Nelson Mandela saw distinct
advancements toward racial equality in South Africa, as the nation transitioned
from apartheid and minority rule to a country that aspired to achieve
reconciliation, equality and peace; and
Whereas Nelson Mandela’s life and work continue to inspire
individuals living in South Africa and around the world: Now, therefore, be
it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)commemorates the 20th anniversary of Nelson
Rolihlahla Mandela’s release from 27 years of unjust imprisonment;
(2)recognizes the
release of Nelson Mandela as a significant event in South Africa’s attempt to
achieve an equal and democratic society; and
(3)recognizes Nelson
Mandela’s pivotal role in ending apartheid and as a figure of progress,
strength, and reconciliation in South Africa and in the global
community.