The beauty about this quote is that once you crest one of these hills and look backwards, you realize how far you've come. Both
Nelson Mandela and
Martin Luther King, Jr. are great men who have battled their way up many such hills for their countries. They both came to prominence due to unrest with racial laws and prejudice in their communities. And through their efforts and leadership, they were able to rally entire countries in a movement against racial discrimination. Sadly, MLK's fight was cut short when he was assassinated at the age of 39. He realized much work was still to be done in the urban north, but was unable to accomplish that work. Mandela was fortunate enough to continue his climb for equality almost until his death.
What I find so inspirational in these two leaders is how, even after accomplishing so much in their lives, they still felt the necessity and drive to accomplish so much more. This even ties into the work that we will be doing in South Africa in just over three months. With all the progress that this now democratic country has made, there is still much that can be done. Poverty is still very real. Infrastructure problems loom as the population swells. Public health and education can always be improved. I hope that after our Maymester, we too can look back and marvel at what we have accomplished. From then, we would look to the future and the other challenges that may come.
I really enjoyed your last paragraph - thanks. I also found MLK and Mandela inspirational for the magnitude of their work and their unwillingness to cease their work regardless of the barriers they faced. I like how you incorporated all the hills that are left in South Africa. I too hope we can look back on June 24 at all that we have accomplished there.
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ReplyDeleteI as well liked your last paragraph. It makes you think of how you can play a bigger role in peoples lives just how MLK and Mandela did. Both of these men are extraordinary and what they accomplished takes a lot of courage and drive. They both are leaders and regardless what hill they faced they managed to tear it down.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great quote. I think many people think if apartheid is eliminated or if civil rights laws are passed then they have won. Unfortunately, there are still many more problems nations have to deal with after overthrowing these systems, such as affirmative action, housing problems, public assistance programs, etc. These causes truly require constant work and dedication.
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