My Twitter feed lit up yesterday afternoon as news spread about the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela.
While he was truly a leader in his own country, his impact was felt around the world.
It’s amazing that one man from such a relatively small country could touch so many people around the world, including many from the Asian American community.
Emil Guillermo in his blog for AALDEF, the Asian American Leadership Defense & Education Fund, talked about how he personally felt the impact of Mandela’s wisdom and leadership.
Guillermo recalled his graduation from Harvard in 1977 when he wore a white armband as he crossed the stage to receive his diploma to protest his University’s investments in South Africa.
The movement around divestiture in South Africa touched me as well in the 1980s after I had just graduated from college.
I took my handful of shares in IBM which my parents had given to me and sold it in protest of IBM’s investments in a racist country. I remember the broker smiling at me perhaps amused at my gesture. Selling a couple shares of stock had zero impact on the anti-apartheid movement. But it felt good nonetheless. It was my first act of social conscience.
How were you impacted by Mandela? Share your story below.