Statement of Martin Luther King III on the passing of Nelson Mandela

The passing of President Nelson Mandela, international human rights hero, statesman and citizen of the world, marks the end of a magnificent life, but his remarkable contributions and vision for a more humane and just world will endure.

Mr. Mandela was a genuine hero in the struggle against apartheid, a cause which Martin Luther King Jr. also championed.  

After spending 27 years in captivity and at a time when his country could have imploded into a racial bloodbath, he taught the world how to forgive.

While he will be missed, his legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of millions of people throughout the world.  He was a symbol of dignity for people of African descent and for the poor and oppressed everywhere. 

Through his and his people’s long walk to freedom, Mr. Mandela’s constant fight for equality personified, what my father often said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”