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.
I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once.
Who can be born black and not exult!
The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle - and not lose it.
Let us march immediately, and never lay down our arms until we obtain our independence.
No soldier outlives a thousand chances. But every soldier believes in Chance and trusts his luck.
It's one thing to be groped and harassed by passers-by, but when the state gropes you, it gives a green light that you are fair game.
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