"Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do."

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

"Long Walk to Freedom is not a book; it is a pilgrimage."

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

"I have always regarded myself as a man of the people, and I have always tried to live up to that ideal."