Remembering Nelson Mandela
Around the world, people are pausing to remember and honor Nelson Mandela, who passed away today. My memory is traveling in South Africa during apartheid; hiding in the back of cars to go into “coloured only” and “black only” areas; meeting with lawyers in the anti-apartheid struggle who had been banned from law practice and…
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Around the world, people are pausing to remember and honor Nelson Mandela, who passed away today.
My memory is traveling in South Africa during apartheid; hiding in the back of cars to go into “coloured only” and “black only” areas; meeting with lawyers in the anti-apartheid struggle who had been banned from law practice and from their homes; visiting “blacks only” hospitals and neighborhoods; and being refused service at a “coloured only” restaurant because of the color of my skin. All the while, Mandela was in prison, breaking rocks and inspiring a movement for justice.
I am grateful for his life, his courage and tenacity, his passion for justice, and the inspiration he gave to people of all races around the globe. Thank you, Nelson Mandela.
Trip Van Noppen served as Earthjustice’s president from 2008 until he retired in 2018. A North Carolina native, Trip said of his experience: “Serving as the steward of Earthjustice for the last decade has been the greatest honor of my life.”