In 1918, Nelson Mandela was born in a fishing village in South Africa. 30 years later, in 1948, the system of apartheid was established. Apartheid, which means “apartness,” segregated South Africa by race, outlawed interracial marriage, and trampled the rights of non-white people, especially Black South Africans. Mandela would fight against this racist system, spend almost 30 years in prison for his activism, and end up becoming South Africa’s first Black president. Because of his work in ending apartheid – which occurred through a peaceful transition in 1990 – and his defense of human rights, Mandela is one of history’s most beloved leaders and activists. Here are 12 inspiring quotes on topics like justice, equality, and freedom.
#1. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
This quote from Mandela comes from a speech given at the 90th birthday celebration of Water Sisulu, an anti-apartheid activist and former Deputy President of South Africa. Like Mandela, Sisulu spent significant time in prison before his release as part of the negotiations to end apartheid. Mandela’s quote emphasizes the value of living a life that impacts others, and how that ultimately defines our legacy.
#2. “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
Nelson Mandela and 11 members of the African National Congress were accused of sabotage and attempting to overthrow the apartheid government in the early 1960s. Mandela’s trial, which took place in 1963-1964, raised his international profile. For three hours of his trial, he explained his motivations, closing with the inspiring quote above. He was not being dramatic; the crimes he was charged with came with the possibility of the death penalty. While he wasn’t executed, he was given a life sentence, and he remained imprisoned for almost 30 years.
#3. “Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
In his autobiography Long Walk To Freedom, Mandela talks about the harrowing conditions in prison. However, while many would have fallen into hopelessness, Mandela describes feeling optimistic. He never seriously thought he would die in jail, which no doubt helped fuel his continued activism even while incarcerated. Without optimism, fighting for human rights can quickly become discouraging. Mandela’s words encourage defenders to choose hope.
#4. “Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden, but never extinguished.”
This quote, which comes from Long Walk to Freedom, highlights Mandela’s persistent belief in human goodness. While enduring abuse in prison, Mandela’s faith was tested, but he talks about occasionally seeing “glimmers of humanity” in a prison guard. That was enough to keep going. Why is a belief in goodness important? Without it, it’s easy to become hopeless and wonder if there’s a point to human rights work. If we believe in goodness, however, we can hold onto the hope that a better world is possible.
#5. “Freedom is not only the absence of being in jail, just as it is always said that peace is not merely the absence of war.”
In a 2004 interview, Mandela was asked what freedom means to him, considering his life had a period of freedom, then imprisonment, then freedom again. Mandela challenges the question by saying the time before prison during apartheid wasn’t true freedom. Freedom from prison only means so much if the society you live in oppresses you. It’s worth considering what freedom means beyond the lack of something. Isn’t it also equality, liberation, and access to resources and opportunities?
#6. “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty persists, there is no true freedom.”
Speaking of freedom, Mandela addressed its connection to poverty in a 2005 speech at Trafalgar Square in London. As he explains, overcoming poverty isn’t about charity or “helping” the less fortunate. It’s about protecting human rights and ensuring justice for all. Poverty is an attack on a person’s dignity, opportunities, health, and every other part of them, and so as long as it exists, we can’t say people are free.
#7. “As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.”
In that same London speech, Nelson Mandela challenges his listeners to end poverty, injustice, and inequality. It’s especially powerful coming from him, a man whose work was instrumental in ending apartheid and who continued to support justice as he got older. He died in 2013 at 95 years old, leaving a legacy that models what it looks like to never “truly rest.” Most of us will never become the head of a nation, but we can work together in other ways.
#8. “All these social ills which constitute an offence against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are not a pre-ordained result of the forces of nature or the product of a curse of the deities.”
Nelson Mandela addressed the 53rd United Nations General Assembly in 1998. In his speech, he celebrated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but acknowledged the UN’s failure to achieve its goals. Most pointedly, he said this failure was a result of decisions, and not forces of nature or God. This is essential to remember when governments and corporations try to shirk responsibility. Things like war, gender-based violence, climate change, and more are not inevitable. They are the result of poor choices, greed, and apathy. Because social ills are the result of choices, it means better choices can change things. We’re not locked into doom and gloom. Progress is still possible.
#9. “Non-collaboration is a dynamic weapon. We must refuse. We must use it to send this government to the grave.”
Apartheid didn’t end because the racist government had a change of heart; it faced such significant internal resistance and outside resistance through boycotts and sanctions, it had no choice but to dismantle itself. Nelson Mandala is referring to apartheid in this 1961 press statement, but his words can apply to any authoritarian system. When faced with unjust laws and corrupt governments, refusing to participate is a powerful tool. The more people refuse, the more change happens.
#10. “Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation.”
Nelson Mandela understood the importance of education. As his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom describes, he was the first in his family to receive a formal education. Education makes so many other human rights possible, but it comes under attack during times of war and crisis. While humanitarian aid like food, water, healthcare, and shelter are essential, it’s important to protect education, as well.
#11. “I have always believed that to be a freedom fighter one must suppress many of the personal feelings that make one feel like a separate individual rather than part of a mass movement. One is fighting for the liberation of millions of people, not the glory of one individual.”
In Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela discusses his life as a freedom fighter. He acknowledges the sacrifices he and his loved ones had to make for the anti-apartheid cause, and how personal feelings must often be set aside. This is a tricky area for human rights defenders, but the most important part of the quote comes at the end. You are not fighting for your own glory and recognition, but rather the freedom and equality of millions. When you keep this in mind, it affects how you see problems, how you make decisions, and how you interact with the movements you’re a part of.
#12. “Our common humanity transcends the oceans and all national boundaries. It binds us together to unite in a common cause against tyranny, to act together in defence of our very humanity. Let it never be asked of anyone of us – what did we do when we knew that another was oppressed!”
Countries wage war, exploit resources, and oppress their own people, but in a 1991 keynote address, Nelson Mandela urges everyone to come together against tyranny and in defense of human rights. That defense should not be limited to people within a country’s borders. No human is worth more than another because of where they live, the language they speak, or any other characteristic. Everyone should think deeply about Mandela’s last words in this quote. If you’re asked what you did when you saw oppression, what would you say?
