On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela was officially released from prison. On that day, he addressed a crowd of thousands from the steps of Cape Town’s City Hall, in what has become widely regarded as one of the most iconic speeches in our country’s history.

Four years later, he became the first legitimate president in the history of South Africa. If the full 31 minute video is too much for you to get through in your work day, enjoy some of these quotes from the speech.

Our march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. … The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

Prison itself is a tremendous education in the need for patience and perseverance. It is above all a test of one’s commitment.

I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

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.

If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.

Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope that he will rise even in the end.

Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.

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

[Source : YouTube]