Mandela Archives - MICHAEL O. ALLEN

Pieces of Me

By michael o. allenHomepageNo Comments

This site is, of course, the archive of mostly my newspaper journalism. I have written other places, too.

I don’t know if it is wanderlust, nostalgia, whatever, I found myself looking around the web for some of my past writings and came across these pieces scattered around the Internet. Some of these pieces, I posted individually at the time I wrote them but I was not consistent in doing that.

Without comment, here are some of the discoveries:

From the American Civil Liberties Union’s BLOG OF RIGHTS:

http://www.aclu.org/blog/author/michael-o-allen

The Natural Resources Defense Council publishes ONEARTH magazine:

http://www.onearth.org/author/michael-o-allen

And, at the Overseas Press Club of America, where I covered news events and wrote blog posts for OPC’s website (www.opcofamerica.org/), I found these blog posts: https://www.opcofamerica.org/search/node/michael%20o.%20allen

March 6, 2013

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OUTRAGE_Not All Press Welcomed, No Matter What the Sign Says

By michael o. allenHomepage, New York Daily News, South Africa: The Freedom VoteNo Comments

By GENE MUSTAIN, Daily News Staff Writer | Friday, April 29, 1994

RUSTENBURG—The first whiff of the hate in store came when we turned off the two-lane blacktop onto a dusty rutted road and a group of Boer commandos by a parked car glared at us.

One of them, a huge pot-bellied man with a bushy mustache and a pistol in his waistband, shouted some insult we couldn’t hear.

“They think black people are the devil,” said Michele Baird, our black interpreter.

April 16, 2009

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NEW CHALLENGES FOR A NEW NATION_Mandela Facing a Huge Task

By michael o. allenHomepage, New York Daily News, South Africa: The Freedom VoteNo Comments

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN and GENE MUSTAIN, Daily News Staff Writers | Sunday, May 1, 1994

JOHANNESBURG—It was a symbolic moment too rich to miss—the eclipse of apartheid and a new day dawning on black aspirations for power.

Under a full moon about two poignant minutes apart, before and after midnight one day last week, a white soldier lowered from the flagpole for the last time South Africa’s old flag and a black soldier raised its new colors.

“The old flag meant a lot to me, but I am prepared to serve under the new flag,” said Cpl. Anton Jooste, the white soldier.

April 12, 2009

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Mandela Sworn in as Freedom Reigns

By michael o. allenHomepage, New York Daily News, South Africa: The Freedom VoteNo Comments

By MICHAEL O. ALLEN, Daily News Staff Writer | Wednesday, May 11, 1994

PRETORIA—Climaxing his journey from political prisoner to nation builder, Nelson Mandela assumed the office of president of South Africa yesterday vowing that “never again” would racial exploitation be tolerated.

In a joyous ceremony that marked the end of the country’s pariah status and celebrated the nation’s transformation into a beacon of racial reconciliation, Mandela proclaimed: “Let freedom reign.”

The American delegation included U.S. Vice President Al Gore, First Lady Hillary Clinton and Jesse Jackson. Gore said South Africa has sent a powerful message to the world that differences can be set aside for the sake of a nation.

Watched by international visitors including Vice President Gore, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Palestinian Leader Yasser Arafat, and Cuban President Fidel Castro, Mandela spoke in deep, measured tones as he swore allegiance to the new republic and its constitution.

As he said, “So help me God,” shouts of “Viva” rang out from the huge, multi-racial crowd gathered at the foot of the Union Buildings amphitheater.

April 4, 2009

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