Nelson Mandela

Political division, based on color, is entirely artificial; and when it disappears, so will the domination of one color group by another.

Nelson Mandela

Politics can be strengthened by music, but music has a potency that defies politics.

Nelson Mandela

Prison is a still point in a turning world, and it is very easy to remain in the same place in jail while the world moves on.

Nelson Mandela

Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.

Nelson Mandela

Prison life, fortunately, I spent a lot of years, about 18 years with other prisoners, and, as I say, they enriched your soul.

Nelson Mandela

Quitting is leading too.

Nelson Mandela

Racism is a blight on the human conscience. The idea that any people can be inferior to another, to the point where those who consider themselves superior define and treat the rest as subhuman, denies the humanity even of those who elevate themselves to the status of gods.

Nelson Mandela

Reconciliation means working together to correct the legacy of past injustice.

Nelson Mandela

Religion is one of the most important forces in the world. Whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, a Buddhist, a Jew, or a Hindu, religion is a great force, and it can help one have command of one’s own morality, one’s own behavior, and one’s own attitude.

Nelson Mandela

Sabotage did not involve loss of life, and it offered the best hope for future race relations. Bitterness would be kept to a minimum and, if the policy bore fruit, democratic government could become a reality.

Nelson Mandela