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.
For black and Asian people of my generation, the England team and the cross of St George were once ingredients in a toxic broth. For decades, a minority of England fans brought the nation and the national team into disrepute, bringing violence both to foreign streets and immigrant communities at home.
The next time you encounter fear, consider yourself lucky. This is where the courage comes in. Usually we think that brave people have no fear. The truth is that they are intimate with fear. When I was first married, my husband said I was one of the bravest people he knew. When I asked him why, he said because I was a complete coward but went ahead and did things anyhow.
I am not the only one who did not want revenge. Almost all my colleagues in prison did not want revenge, because there is no time to do anything else except to try and save your people.
It was just something - I didn't agree with what the flag was representing at this time, and you know, if you look at the original picture where people addressed it, I was trying to sit behind the coolers and out of the way, 'cause I didn't want to interrupt anybody else's right to stand and hold attention to the flag.
Fear unchecked grows exponentially. Love poured forth has the power to remove it. Thus is the power of God in our lives
Itβs better to be in the arena, getting stomped by the bull, than to be up in the stands or out in the parking lot.
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