Nelson Mandela

In jail, one pays not only for one's crime but also for the sins of one's race.

Prison itself is a microcosm of society.

To be an African in South Africa means that one is a part of the endless battle for freedom and justice.

I am confident that the spirit of our people will not be broken.

On the first day of school, my teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave each of us an English name, which was placed in brackets after our real names: Rolihlahla Mandela.

I was born free. I was free to run in the fields, free to swim in the nearby stream, free to roast mealies under the stars.

A man who is willing to die for his country will fight for it.

Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.

I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made mistakes along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to catch my breath. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.

I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed towards the sun, one's feet moving forward.

It is in the character of men to rise above adversity.

When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.

I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. 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.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

The cell is an ideal place to learn to know yourself, to learn to understand your fellow inmates, to learn to understand the warders. It is an ideal place to learn to know your enemy.

I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.

One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.

Peace is not just the absence of conflict; it is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

The very right to be a human being is now denied us.

We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.