Is Nelson Mandela an Icon?

one definition of the word ICON is :An important and enduring symbol. Nelson Mandela certainly does fit that description. during his imprisonment instead of just disappearing he became a matyr a symbol of resistance to racism known the world over. and after he was released...he became the FIRST BLACK president of South Africa! for a country that had long been run by a policy of racial seperation run by a minority of whites..that is surely something significant!! Nelson Mandela is as important a historical figure to stand against racism as Martin Luther King and Malcom X.