Walking in Mandela's footsteps

I visited South Africa to retrace Nelson Mandela's life. This is what I learned.

A Nelson Mandela statue outside Drakenstein.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

I don't remember when exactly I bought my Nelson Mandela T-shirt, but I wore it until it was frayed and lost its color. It was the first and only political T-shirt I ever bought. I had long admired the South African president — his strength, his sacrifice.

I, like many people in America, watched the saga of apartheid in South Africa play out in the media. It was the first time something miles and miles away truly captured my attention, and it hurt my heart.

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Sheryl Nance-Nash

Sheryl Nance-Nash is a freelance writer specializing in personal finance, travel, lifestyle, and business topics. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Money, Forbes, The New York Times, Newsday, Daily Finance, US News Travel, Orbitz, Upscale Magazine, amNY, Travelzoo, The Tennessean, Williamsport Sun-Gazette, The Daily Meal, among others.