A Modern Hero

He is more than a big name: He is one of the great men of our time.

Today's visit of Nelson Mandela, champion of freedom and President of South Africa, is a remarkable opportunity for members of the Harvard community to honor a true hero of modern time, and to reflect on our own lives and priorities.

As president of the African National Congress, Mandela led a protracted battle against the apartheid regime of South Africa, an ugly remnant of colonial imperialism. Today Harvard honors him for his personal sacrifices in the name of freedom--among them the 27 years he spent imprisoned. The eventual success of his efforts is a testament to the fire of his determination, the strength of his character and the justice of his cause.

What makes President Mandela even more extraordinary is his choice to trade a life of relative privilege for one of unceasing struggle. Of royal lineage, President Mandela was groomed from birth to take a high office in regional government. He left home, however, to become a lawyer, fighting abject poverty while earning his degree. Eventually he launched a promising legal career that could have spared him some of the trials he saw his fellow South Africans suffer.

It was an opportunity he spurned, choosing instead to devote his energy and intellect to serving others. His uncompromising and unrelenting insistence on the end of de jure white supremacy, coupled with the political savvy necessary to obtain results, led to one of the most significant political and social events in modern world history: the South African government's gradual abolition of apartheid in 1993 and 1994.

Today, seeing that this might be the last opportunity to honor Mandela while in office, the administration chose wisely to hold a special ceremony in the Yard. Thousands will gather to celebrate a man of selfless and courageous choices--a man whose visit should summon each of us to consider our great opportunity and, indeed, our duty to improve the world around us.

Welcome, Mr. President. It is we who are honored.