I was so hooked by the fight for freedom that nothing mattered to us so long as we fulfilled the dream of years and years of our people being liberated. I thought normal life would come the day after.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the significance of fighting for freedom and liberation over the comforts of normalcy.
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela reflects on the deep commitment and passion involved in the struggle for freedom, indicating that the fight overshadowed all other aspects of life. She highlights the expectation that achieving liberation would lead to a swift return to normal life, underscoring the sacrifices made in pursuit of justice and the sometimes painful aftereffects of such a devoted struggle.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech addressing the importance of activism and perseverance in the face of oppression.
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 think there's something peculiar about me that I haven't died. It doesn't make sense but I refuse to die.
Black Girl Magic means that I have the power to overcome anything. Especially when we're in a world where you're told that you can't do something or you're less than, I'm reminded that my ancestors have overcome so much. There's still so much work to be done, and I have the power to overcome it.
You can't avoid fear. No magic potion will take it away. And you can't wait for motivation to get you going. To conquer fear, you have to feel the fear and take action anyway.
I hate cowardice; I will have nothing to do with cowards or political nonsense.
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
Being fearless doesn't mean living a life devoid of fear, but living a life in which our fears don't hold us back
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