Happy birthday to the South African President, Nobel Laureate, heroic political prisoner, and inspiration to millions worldwide, Nelson Mandela, born on this date in 1918. You can read up on Nelson Mandela in books from catalogUSMAI, such as his 2010 collection of writings Conversations with Myself. For information on borrowing books through UMUC, see our book borrowing guide.
The photo at right comes from the Nobel Prize Web site. Mandela won the 1993 Peace Prize jointly with F. W. de Klerk. In his Nobel Lecture, Mandela said:
"Let the strivings of us all, prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war.
Let the efforts of us all, prove that he was not a mere dreamer when he spoke of the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace being more precious than diamonds or silver or gold. Let a new age dawn!"
