In his childhood, Mandela was a bright, empathetic kid, who had access to education and, thanks to that, could see the world in different ways than others. He chose to question, rethink authority, and fight for justice for his people. He said that: “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 the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.” And that is what I also preach.
Even though I do not agree with everything he chose to do (I read this book with today’s mindset, without experiencing what he experienced, so I also keep this in mind), I could not agree with MK’s violence, and the death (more like sacrifice) of innocent people for the cause. Even so, Mandela managed to inspire me in my fight for education and knowledge, and their importance not only for me, but for entire nations. I still respect him for owning up to his involvement with MK, guerrilla warfare, and military training.
Mandela was a resilient, patient man. He was ahead of its time, and the autobiography itself covers his entire life until his presidency.
In the beginning, I must confess I was a bit skeptical about how he got to Johannesbourg through lying with Justice, however I understood that was all the possibility he had. It was either that, or being stuck to a life he did not aim at, with a wife he did not want to marry. Had he not done that, he would have not had the right to choose his life for himself: and what a life! The life of a freedom fighter is rough, and Mandela often had to choose between his family and his people. He could not be the father of his (many) kids and the father of a nation, and that came clear to me from the start, ever since he moved away from his hometown. The fact that his mother was not mentioned for a long time made me realize that quickly.
His story is a good example of how seeing an achievement in itself (e.g.: A Nobel Peace Prize) is not the whole picture. There is a whole context behind said picture: everything came with much struggle, loss, death, compromise, tactical thinking, trust (and, oftentimes, lack thereof) and, most importantly, education.
I already briefly knew about Mandela’s life before starting this read, but delving into it was an experience I am sad I don’t get to relive again. I just couldn’t stop reading, the writing and Mandela’s storytelling of his own story is impeccable. I just wanted to keep going, to go through the struggle with him, and get to when finally things were ok. However, it took long: Mandela was in and out of prison for a considerable amount of time of his life, spending even from his 44 years old to 71 years old inside. At times, I thought he was going to die in prison, but he made it out alive in the end.
A definite must-read for those interested in education, politics, understanding the complex layers of history of South Africa and apartheid, and/or anyone who wants to learn from an inspiring, humble hero, with an inspiring story. In 2026, I am fortunate to say that Mandela’s fight was not in vain, and that we will keep fighting for freedom until we die. WWNMD (What Would Nelson Mandela Do?) is my new mantra :)
