It’s In Our Hands: The Importance of Nelson Mandela’s Legacy and Lessons for Young Changemakers

As a young adult extremely interested in policy, grassroots change, and intercultural collaboration; I often find myself, alongside other young people, feeling disillusioned by the amount of “what.” We hear very often that we must work to enact change, we must raise awareness to significant causes, or that we must do what we can to further our communities; yet we are rarely shown “how”. It can be difficult to envision our role when we are not given meaningful opportunities to lead, contribute, or even explore what effective change truly looks like. That is what drew me to participate in It's in Your Hands, a Mandela Day programme hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in collaboration with the Global Canvas Initiative at American Dream. This event provided me and other wonderful young changemakers with a platform where our ideas were heard, our perspectives were held in consideration, and our work was spotlighted as a testament to our planning and contribution towards our own future. It demonstrated the epitome of Mandela’s words: that the torch of leadership is truly passed when young people are invited to actively carry it and kindle its flame.

I had the amazing opportunity to moderate a panel consisting of young people who contribute their flame through art, business, representation, and socioeconomic opportunity. The diversity
of this panel allowed our audience to truly see the lengths that young people go to in order to take their individual interests and convert them to something that can benefit their communities and learning environments. Desiree, a student athlete building through sport, emphasized how beneficial sport can be as a tool for individual self development and later collective action through teamwork. A youth community changemaker, Boubacar, told us about Teaching a Generation and how their team works relentlessly to give young adults opportunities to take socioeconomic matters into their own hands through professional development, youth-led retail stores, and mentorship. Additionally, Danielle, who advocates for her learning community on the Kean Board of Trustees, urged the importance of keeping students at the forefront of decision making and giving them real influence. Finally, an artist dedicated to gender equality by the name of Neptune, told us about how simply powerful art can be in connecting and valuing young adults. In addition to this wonderful panel, we had storytellers from Change Makers, EcoAthlete, the YES Summit, and more.
 

When Dr. Buthelezi originally addressed us by explaining the nuances behind Mandela’s words, I found myself contemplating what it means to inherit a legacy. As some of our panelists said, it can be either a burden, honor, a responsibility - or a mixture of all. As our program carried on, I learned that a legacy cannot be built or honored in one day, one event, or one idea; no matter how extraordinary it may be. It is built over time, the same way Mandela progressed it. Inheriting legacy is a lifelong commitment that was reflected in the action of our programme: collaboration, effort, and understanding. I picture the young adults as the children holding the bird mentioned in Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize analogy: we may not know exactly what is ahead of us, but we know that our fate is in our hands. After all, the most meaningful way to honor Mandela's legacy is not to simply remember it, but to live it, and contribute our own legacy.