Mandela in Boston (1990)
This Day in Esoteric Political History
Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia
4.6 • 982 Ratings
🗓️ 22 June 2021
⏱️ 16 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
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It’s June 22nd. This day in 1990, South African leader Nelson Mandela visited Boston, Massachusetts, as part of a worldwide “thank you” tour after being released from prison.
Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the anti-apartheid movement in the United States, how it tapped into domestic civil rights battles, and why Massachusetts in particular help a special place for Mandela.
Find a transcript of this episode at: https://tinyurl.com/esoterichistory
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia. |
| 0:07.0 | My name is Jody Avergan. |
| 0:11.0 | This day, June 22nd, 1990, Nelson Mandela visits Boston, Massachusetts. |
| 0:17.6 | The South African Freedom Fighter had recently been released from prison just in February of that year and now was on a six week |
| 0:24.8 | 13 nation tour which included a bunch of stops in the United States. Mandela |
| 0:30.6 | would become the leader of the African National Congress later that year and then be elected president of South Africa in 1994 in that country's first multiracial elections after decades of apartheid. |
| 0:42.0 | But this trip in 1990 in the United States and this |
| 0:44.6 | visit to Boston in particular came at a really interesting moment for Mandela |
| 0:48.8 | and the international struggle against apartheid. So here to discuss are as always |
| 0:54.0 | Nicole Hammer of Columbia and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hello there. |
| 0:57.6 | Hello Jody. Hey there. So Kelly I mentioned this but Mandela is released in February. |
| 1:04.7 | By late spring he's on this massive worldwide tour and that seems pretty fast to me but I'm curious |
| 1:09.4 | kind of why? |
| 1:10.4 | Yeah, I mean there's a number of reasons. One, it's a thank you tour. I mean, there are so many people all around the world and all throughout the United States that were really responsible for pushing you know an end to apartheid |
| 1:25.0 | pushing for his release and so part of this tour is a way to just show his |
| 1:29.4 | support and gratitude for all of that the activism that went into getting him released. |
| 1:34.7 | And then the second part of it is to visit his family. |
| 1:37.6 | He has children and grandchildren that live in the United States, in Boston in particular. |
| 1:43.0 | And so this opportunity is a chance |
| 1:45.4 | to be able to think people, see his family, |
| 1:48.0 | tour the country, raise money as well. |
| 1:50.0 | This is a big fundraising effort, |
... |
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