It dawned on me then that you either had to survive apartheid, or you had to perish with it. And I decided to survive.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the harsh reality of surviving oppression and the determination to endure despite challenges.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's quote highlights the critical choice one faces in the face of systemic injustice, specifically apartheid. It underscores the importance of resilience and the will to persevere against overwhelming odds, emphasizing that survival is not just a biological necessity but also a moral and existential decision to oppose oppression.
In practice
This quote can inspire those in marginalized communities to stand up against injustice.
In the normal course of things, journalists want their story, and as soon as they are through with it, they pack their cameras and go. That was never the impression that David Astor gave when you were interviewed by him. It was far deeper than that.
One of the greatest things I fear is letting down my people. I wouldn't live with that type of conscience, of having let down my people after they've been brutalized for so long.
I wanted to be a doctor at some point, and I was always bringing home strays from school: people who were too poor to pay fees or have food. My parents never rebuked me or told me that they were hard-pressed, too.
We shall liberate our country.
I learned to deal with the police... to be tough... to survive.
I am not sorry. I will never be sorry. I would do everything I did again if I had to. Everything.
It was ability that mattered, not disability, which is a word I'm not crazy about using.
We can't solve modern problems by going back in time. Retreating to the safety of the familiar is an understandable response, but God has called us to a life of faith. And faith requires us to face the unknown while trusting Him completely.
If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories.
The people of South Africa are ready to stand up to the oppressions of the Pretoria regime, and they are ready to fight back.
For those of us imprisoned in Poland, the Prague Spring was a harbinger of hope.
I have been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). It's a terminal disease with an average lifespan of two to five years post-diagnosis, and scientists don't know what causes it. ALS prevents your brain from talking to your muscles. As a result, muscles die. As a result, every 90 minutes people die. I am a person.
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