Washington Watch w/Roland Martin, 03.14.10 [Transcript]
(SEGMENT 5)
MR. MARTIN: Earlier this week, I went to Birmingham to interview Winnie Mandela, the ex-wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, for a CNN exclusive. Mandela was the guest of honor at Faith Chapel Christian Center in Birmingham. During my interview, the South African civil rights leader shared her views on the presidency of Barack Obama, why she’s worried that South African youth may forget the struggles for freedom and much more.
Take a look [at] the first part of the interview.
[VIDEO CLIP.]
MR. MARTIN: What role did the Civil Rights Movement play in the efforts to free South Africa from apartheid? Because they – obviously, those two movements were going on at the same time.
MS. WINNIE MANDELA: We were greatly inspired by the various campaigns that were lead from this country. These campaigns permeated through the universities and a number of institutions. Universities played a major role in campaigning against South Africa – and, in fact, the imposition of sanctions against South Africa was inspired by the campaigns that were led from – from this country.
MR. MARTIN: You talk about that inspiration. A few years ago, Desmond Tutu – Bishop Tutu received an award – a Trumpet Award – and he talked about looking through the pages of Ebony magazine and gaining inspiration seeing how well African-Americans were doing and how they were – they were able to overcome. So, talk about what – you know, the sort of kinship between Black Americans and South Africans, both fighting for freedom, frankly, fighting racist
regimes – Jim Crow in America and apartheid in South Africa.
MS. MANDELA: Yeah, I know. That is true. There – there are great similarities between the – the two struggles. It is true that those of us who were imprisoned, and those of us who were side by side by some of the great freedom fighters in – in South Africa know the role that was played by this country. It is true – [clears throat] – the – the fact that the campaign against sanctions for – for – against South Africa –
MR. MARTIN: When – when folks talk about South Africa – I mean, obviously, people talk about the importance of Nelson Mandela, but it seems as if the – the female freedom fighters in South Africa often don’t get the same amount of attention. We’ve heard the exact, same criticism in the United States, and so you hear [of] Dr. King and Ralph Abernathy and Roy Wilkins, but you don’t necessarily hear people talk about Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer to the same extent. And so can you speak to that in terms of the role that women played in the movement as well? Because, frankly, when Nelson Mandela was in prison all those years, you were the one keeping that light – that – you know, keeping that going for so many years, keeping the attention on the effort.
MS. MANDELA: Throughout the years, I have tried to explain that, as a matter of fact, it is the women and the children who played a major role during those very difficult years when the entire leadership of the ANC, for instance – [clears throat] – and of various organizations – were imprisoned. It was the women who carried the banner and fought against the worst racist regime in the world.
It was the women who had to eke out a living and look after orphaned children whose fathers and brothers were inside prisons. It was ultimately the children of South Africa, during the 1976 uprising, who said to the rest of the country, “Enough is enough.” And they said that to the most powerful, racist regime. They were prepared to expose themselves to the worst brutality any
government has ever imposed on its citizens.
The leadership in prison was protected by the walls of prison. They knew where their next plate of food came from. They had three meals a day. The children, mothers and their children were the ones who actually bore the brunt of the worst regime that existed on earth.
[END OF VIDEO CLIP.]
MR. MARTIN: We’ll have more of my interview with Winnie Mandela next week on “Washington Watch.”
[END OF SEGMENT.]
(SEGMENT 6)
MR. MARTIN: That’s it for this edition of TV One’s “Washington Watch.” I’m Roland Martin. Goodbye, and have a blessed week.
[END.]
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