On This Day: In 1994, civil rights leader Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president of South Africa, becoming the country's first Black president. Before his election, Mandela was imprisoned for 28 years (1990-1962) for his efforts to end apartheid.
Nelson Mandela is considered by many to be one of the greatest leaders - an embodiment of courage and standing up firmly for your values under any and all circumstances, as exemplified by his continuous activism and advocacy for racial equality and democracy despite the threat of incarceration.
See why some of our Laidlaw Scholars have named Nelson Mandela one of their biggest leadership inspirations:
"Nelson Mandela is my key leader role model. Mainly because of his congruency and no retaliation policy. The more I learn about his story, the more I’m impressed with him. He was able to put aside his pride, fear and anger for the greater good." - Maria Fernanda Virués
"[My leadership inspiration is] Nelson Mandela for teaching me how and when to completely and totally fight for what is right, but also how and when to forgive."- Nikhara Nirghin
"[My leadership inspiration is] Nelson Mandela — for showing love in the face of hate and helping unite a divided nation whilst remaining humble." - Amazing-Grace Makusha
You Might Also Like:
🌱 Martin Luther King Jr. - "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle."
👁️ Ellen Johnson Sirleaf - "If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough."
🧩 Ngozi Okojo-Iweale - "I believe that when you find problems, you should also find solutions."
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Such an extraordinary leader. One of my other favourite quotations from him is that "if people can learn to hate then they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." When so much public discourse, and social media commentary, tips dangerously towards hateful vitriol, I think it is important to hold on to the idea that we can and should do better.