“What I took out of them was that character was measured by facing up to difficult situations and that a hero was a man who would not break even under the most trying circumstances.”

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.