Nelson Mandela was one of the world's most well-loved leaders. A man who fought against the apartheid practices of the South African government and eventually served as his country's first black president.

Mandela began his fight against injustice at a young age and became a symbol for the anti-apartheid movement when he was put on trial for treason in 1963. Mandela was sentenced to life in prison and the Apartheid government did everything it could to make Mandela invisible.

No photos were released from his time in prison and he wasn't heard from except through letters to intermediaries. But needless to say, the influence of Mandela didn't vanish. Instead he grew into a near-mythic symbol of resistance. A resistance that gathered strength and exploded in the '70s and '80s.

Michael Parks was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times in South Africa during this period of struggle. He won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage there and he's now the director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism. He joins the show to talk about Mandela's legacy.