“I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there is mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.” Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
What amazes me about the above quote is Nelson Mandela’s ability to see humanity in the eyes of those who imprisoned him. If you have read the book Long Walk to Freedom, you would understand why this quote is so powerful.
“Even in the grimmest times in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps just for a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.”
The treatment that Nelson Mandela and his comrades received at Robben Island Prison was inhumane but despite that he could find the glimmer of hope and dignity in the eyes of his captures. It is his honoring of dignity that he was able to negotiate from prison with the person who was responsible for the suffering and wrongful imprisonment of many Black South Africans FW de Klerk. He even made him part of his cabinet when he became the countries first elected African President. My point is to not talk about the history of South Africa it is to show you what the power of honoring dignity can do. It can unite a county or save a friendship. As Dr. Donna Hicks PhD defines in her book Leading with Dignity, it is the three Cs that are key, connecting to your own dignity, connecting to the dignity of other, and connecting to the dignity of something higher. If you want to know what that looks like I encourage you to read the Long Walk to Freedom.
My dignity journey has been a bumpy ride. Unlike Nelson Mandela I did not see that glimmer of humanity but that is what happens when your life is guided by anger. As I have been able to overcome that part of me, I have begun to see what we as people are truly capable of. My journey as the Diversity Officer has been amazing and eye opening. I have met people who are doing hero’s work for our most vulnerable in the community. I have learned of the sacrifices being made every day so that people can have food and shelter for their families. I learned about our rapid growing immigrant population coming to the Berkshires because they know there are great organizations and people here who want to help and more than ever, they want to give people hope for a better tomorrow. The hope that we can make a difference to those who ask for our help. The hope that we can create a community that is welcoming to all and that creates an environment that supports helping people live out their dreams. I know how this may sound like the story line from a Hallmark Christmas movie but let me leave you with one final quote from Nelson Mandela,
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
I want to create a place where we are all treated like royalty. Just like the world Nelson Mandela envisioned.
Charles Redd RN
Dignity Freedom Fighter
Dignity Freedom Fighter 