People Around The City React To Nelson Mandela's Death
By Steve Patterson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - People all over the city are speaking out about the impact of Nelson Mandela's life and reacting to his death.
"It's kind of an inspiration for us," said Libery Bell Tourist Paul Matheson. "The whole country doesn't have to be divided and maybe if we came together good things would happen."
Mandela came to Philadelphia in 1993 when he was awarded the Liberty medal for "enormous courage, integrity, forbearance, sense of justice and devotion to freedom and consensus for the common good." He would later go on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and become the first Black President of South Africa in 1994.
"We won't see a person like that for a long long period of time. Certainly in my lifetime," said Mayor Michael Nutter.
Nutter met the freedom fighter in the 90's. He traveled to South Africa in 2005 as part of a leadership tour. There he visited Robben Island where Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years.
"Personally and professionally Nelson Mandela is going to be at the top of a list of people you wish you could talk to," Nutter said.
"People you wish you could have a conversation with or at least continue to read and learn from."
