Twenty Years Since Mandela Was Released from Robben Island

Today marks another anniversary that rocked the world: it was 20 years ago that Nelson Mandela was released from a prison on Robben Island. The most famous political prisoner in the world was held for 27 years by a South African government built on apartheid. Mandela's release signaled the end of apartheid and ushered in an era of change. At the time, everything seemed possible for a new South Africa. Scott Baldauf is Africa Bureau Chief for the Christian Science Monitor.