>> there had been such a great buildup, such anticipation. we were very akin to the south african apartheid struggle because apartheid in the south of our own country. we coordinated our activities and we knew that his persecution was redemptive. he walked in that room and jake, he recognized me which really threw me off because he had seen the '84 and '88 campaigns, very much aware of what we were doing in the country. you could feel his presence and his being so present. you would think being out of the mix for 27 years he would be detached. he hit the ground running. >> in the 1980s, as i don't need to remind you but many viewers may not be old enough to remember, president reagan designated the african national congress a terrorist group and vetoed a bill by congress to push for mandela's release.