Real life can be much more fantastic than anything we can create in fiction. Even the great bard Shakespeare is said to have based his play Othello on a real African military man who commanded soldiers during the Medieval Ages when Europe was conquered by Africa. Many popular cinema and TV cowboys were based on Black Buffalo soldiers who roamed the country after the American Civil War. As the United States became an international power to be feared, Black enlisted men, military officers and political statesmen risked their lives in foreign lands; they became legendary and help to spawn our courageous interstellar starship captains and masked, caped heroes wielding super powers to protect our planet. Sport figures such as Jack Johnson may have forged the template for Luke Cage, a popular comic book superhero.
There have been and always will be many great men and women of African descent who inspire visionaries to capture the essence of incredible deeds within the timeless realm of literature and art.
Doubtless, with the passing of an individual such as Nelson Mandela, many seeds for science fiction and fantasy have been sown. These works will propel us into the impossible as we follow the exploits of heroes who struggle and win against the odds in short stories, novels, theatrical productions, comic books, art and dance.
Even after life, Mandela can become a new beginning for creative minds seeking to bring forth extraordinary characters and themes in their works.
Reach beyond yourself; visit the official Mandela Foundation website at: http://www.nelsonmandela.org/
You can find me at: http://www.staffordbatttle.com
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