James Monroe : Nelson Mandela 's life was shaped by his 27 years in prison . `` I am not prepared to sell the birthright of the people to be free , '' he said . Prison did n't turn him into a pacifist but perhaps a racist , he says . Suffering , truth and forgiveness contributed in helping heal racial wounds , he says .
James Monroe : Nelson Mandela 's life was shaped by his 27 years in prison . Prison did n't turn him into a pacifist but perhaps a racist , he says . Suffering , truth and forgiveness contributed in helping heal racial wounds , he says .