Ronald Reagan and Nelson Mandela (from Arnie Steinberg)

Few realize Ronald Reagan's role in bringing about change in South Africa.


He opposed heavy sanctions at the time; instead he shocked South Africa by appointing Ed Perkins Ambassador. I met Ed a few years ago. He was sponsored by Chet Crocker, who also served on a board with me. If you don't know it, Ed Perkins was a BLACK ambassador to apartheid South Africa.



Jesse Jackson and others tried to tell Perkins not to accept the appointment.

He was fully backed by Secretary of State George Schulz and personally appointed by President Reagan.



Once in South Africa, he directly confronted the racism. And he met with Marxist revolutionaries and told them how their planned nationalization of industries would hurt the country and the poor blacks and he convinced some to embrace community capitalism.

H/T Shelly