Nelson Mandela—born in South Africa in 1918—was an international freedom fighter and Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped overturn the apartheid system of racial segregation and usher in democracy for his nation. After being convicted of sabotage and serving 27 years in prison, Mandela was released, and soon after was elected president, becoming the country's first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. He served as president from 1994 to 1999, overseeing the enactment of a new democratic constitution in 1996. After stepping down from power, he continued work on social justice issues. He died in Johannesburg in 2013. In this episode, Richard Stengel—former president of the National Constitution Center, and former editor of TIME Magazine—joins to discuss his new podcast, Mandela: The Lost Tapes, which is available on Audible. These never-before-heard audio tapes come from Stengel’s years-long conversations with Mandela while collaborating with him on his remarkable memoir, Long Walk to Freedom. From the tapes, we learn about what democracy meant to Mandela, how his upbringing and inspirations led him to becoming a force for justice, and what lessons Mandela’s story holds for us today. Host Jeffrey Rosen moderates.
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Today’s show was produced by Lana Ulrich and Bill Pollock. It was engineered by David Stotz. Research was provided by Emily Campbell, Sophia Gardell, Liam Kerr, Sam Desai, and Lana Ulrich.
Participants
Richard Stengel is the former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy in President Barack Obama’s administration. Prior to going to Washington, Stengel was the editor of TIME for seven years. He was also president and CEO of the National Constitution Center. In the 1990s, he collaborated with Nelson Mandela on the South African’s autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom.” He is the author of a number of books, the most recent of which is “Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation.” He is a political analyst for MSNBC. His recent podcast, Mandela: The Lost Tapes, in available on Audible.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization devoted to educating the public about the U.S. Constitution. Rosen is also professor of law at The George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic.
Additional Resources
- Mandela: The Lost Tapes, on Audible
- Nelson Mandela, I Am Prepared to Die speech
TRANSCRIPT
This transcript may not be in its final form, accuracy may vary, and it may be updated or revised in the future.
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