I remember Nelson Mandela’s visit to Boston well. Crowds of all colors greeted his every stop around our city, from his speech at the Hatch Shell to his visits to Roxbury and the JFK Library and Museum. No matter where you were in the city, you felt his presence. Indeed, the entire world has felt his presence, and he will be missed.
Earlier this week, I was invited to drop in on a class led by Dean Rajini Srikanth of the Honors College. She and twelve of her students are traveling to South Africa over the winter break. I joined representatives from the University of Massachusetts system office and the Board of Trustees to hear about their work and wish them well.
They are the next generation of ambassadors between Boston and South Africa, stewards of a relationship that began more than 20 years ago, as the University of Massachusetts and the City of Boston were among the first to take a stand against apartheid by divesting from companies and banks that did business with the racist South African government.
Another such ambassador is our John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation Padraig O’Malley, who worked in South Africa to help facilitate conversations between clashing political parties, and knew President Mandela well.
In them, I see the continuation of the legacy of hope and peace that Mandela began.
We are part of a world that mourns the passing of an inspirational leader, one who triumphed over incredible odds to bring people together against the injustice of apartheid. I hope the university community will join me in keeping Nelson Mandela, his family, and his fellow South Africans in our thoughts today.
-Chancellor J. Keith Motley