“It reaffirmed my long-held belief that education was the enemy of prejudice. These were men and women of science, and science had no room for racism.”

Anti-apartheid leader and South African president (1918–2013) spent 27 years in prison for his activism before becoming the nation’s first democratically elected leader. His work to dismantle racial segregation and foster reconciliation earned him global recognition as a symbol of peace and justice.