Transcript for Dr. Mitchell E-mail Interview Dear Dalida, Thanks for these questions. 1.

We know how Nelson Mandela has made an impact for South Africa, but what do you think was the biggest impact he made for the world? His biggest impact has been as a model of human compassion and reconciliation. His ability to provide leadership in South Africa in a period of violent conflict has inspired others, and enabled him to be a trusted mediator in other situations.

2. What are some of the best things Mandela has done that you think didn't earn enough recognition? I'm not sure how many people know about how much thought Mandela gave in the late 1940s and early 1950s to non-racial (or multi-racial) political organizing. For a time, Mandela was convinced that black only political organizing was the best course of action. His interactions with others, notably Ahmed Kathrata of the Indian National Congress, convinced Mandela otherwise. His inclusive policies and attitudes after he was released from prison receive the most attention (rightly so). But it is important to remember that this outcome was not inevitable, and came about through a great deal of reading, study, conversation and reflection on Mandela's part.

3. What has studying Nelson Mandela made you learn? Thinking about Nelson Mandela's life history emphasizes to me the importance of learning, flexibility, and change. When I think about what information is publically available (who knows

what pieces of his story aren't public?), I am struck by Mandela's willingness to change, his ability to continually learn, to engage with ideas, and to adapt. His core political belief--that racebased segregation and discrimination is unjust and had to end in South Africa--never waivered. But his ideas about how to achieve this end, and how to engage with his opponents, did change.

In my understanding of his life as a boy and a young man, it seems he was willful and perhaps self-absorbed. He shirked family responsibilities, ran away from home, left his first wife. He was not model character for upright behavior. But he changed throughout his life. He came to embrace non-racial political organization; he made rational, calculated decisions about escalating opposition to the government from civil disobedience to mass action to armed resistance. He convinced most black South Africans to set aside violent resistance in order to support a negotiated settlement. And he became a model of a leader and public figure with a strong moral compass and enormous capacity for forgiveness.

This is a remarkable trajectory, and reminds me that none of us are done learning and growing, ever. It's important to engage seriously with major issues of the day, search for a wide range of information, and be willing to change your mind when there's a convincing enough argument for difference.

4. How do you think Mandela will affect future generations? I'm a historian--not a futurist. And as a teacher, I am always surprised--sometimes inspired-- by the ways in which my students think about the information we discuss, and what they chose to do with it.

I hope he remains a model of what we can achieve if we're willing to stick to our convictions, never stop seeking solutions to problems, and embrace the humanity of all the people we encounter, even our adversaries.

If you have other questions, or follow-up questions for my responses, please let me know.

Happy holidays,

Laura Mitchell