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A review by willowbiblio
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela
5.0
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."
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Going into this, I knew very little of Mandela's story, the history of the ANC, or even the particulars of Apartheid. It was an extremely educational book from a historical standpoint. As a white South African who immigrated from SA young, I found myself crying from empathy, guilt, and compassion more times than I could count while reading this.
The way that Mandela and other Africans chose to continue fighting against an oppressive and brutal regime, never giving up their dream of equality and freedom, was deeply inspiring to me. His personal sacrifices for the good of the people was heartbreaking. Mandela's commitment to the cause despite many opportunities to take the easier path was humbling. The way that the South African government systematically denied the humanity, education, and cultural identity of the majority of the country is horrific. It helps to explain why things are so devastating when my family visits SA, and why our parents chose to leave despite their love for their country and need to contribute to positive change.
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Going into this, I knew very little of Mandela's story, the history of the ANC, or even the particulars of Apartheid. It was an extremely educational book from a historical standpoint. As a white South African who immigrated from SA young, I found myself crying from empathy, guilt, and compassion more times than I could count while reading this.
The way that Mandela and other Africans chose to continue fighting against an oppressive and brutal regime, never giving up their dream of equality and freedom, was deeply inspiring to me. His personal sacrifices for the good of the people was heartbreaking. Mandela's commitment to the cause despite many opportunities to take the easier path was humbling. The way that the South African government systematically denied the humanity, education, and cultural identity of the majority of the country is horrific. It helps to explain why things are so devastating when my family visits SA, and why our parents chose to leave despite their love for their country and need to contribute to positive change.