the Power of 1

On December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela departed from this earth.  His unselfish commitment to humanity led to the abolition of apartheid and he became the first Black president of South Africa.  Behind this great man, stood thousands of people, like you and I, who contributed to Mandela’s activism and movement.

Caroline Hunter was an anti-apartheid activist and is now a retired teacher. In 1970, she was hired as a chemist for Polaroid at the age of 21.  She noticed a large picture in her office of the photo ID cards that Black South Africans were required to wear due to Apartheid (An official policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites, TheFreeDictionary).  Polaroid’s technology produced these ID cards for the South African government.  Hunter and another colleague organized protests and started the Polaroid Workers Revolutionary Movement.  Hunter and others were soon fired but, in 1977, Polaroid stopped providing services to the South African government.

Everyone has a VOICE and CHOICE.  Your one voice can make a huge impact. We are often faced with situations that make us uncomfortable or uneasy.  It’s time that we start speaking UP and OUT.    Whether it’s at work, school, or home, we can make a difference.  We say stuff like “if one person would’ve spoken up” this and that could’ve happened.  I always hear “You always have something to say”, “you talk too much”, “you’re too opinionated” but you know what, I have a VOICE and I choose to use it.  I’m still learning how to use my voice effectively and I realize it’s about choosing my battles carefully.  Again, we all have a voice and we can choose to use it to affect the world around us.  You might not gain the accolades of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, or Mahatma Gandhi, but I guarantee if you use your voice wisely, you can have a domino effect in the world surrounding you.  Let’s multiply the Power of One.

-grannyBee

 Nelson Mandela, Caroline Hunter, and Winnie Mandela

Sources:

http://shihlun.tumblr.com/post/69166860064/polaroid-colorpack-iii-imprisons-a-black-south
http://www.louisianaweekly.com/how-a-native-new-orleanian-fought-apartheid/
"apartheid". thefreedictionary.com/apartheid