From November 11th to the 15th, Kean welcomed its 2024 Human Rights Kean Fellow, Ndaba Mandela, through a series of interactive events and lectures.
From speaking on panels, lecturing and showing up to campus events dedicated to human rights, Mandela made a lasting impression on Kean.
Monday, November 11th was the Day of Service for Mandela at Kean and many students attended events like Lunch with Ndaba Mandela and Student Leaders, a presentation on food security, and the Catch a Fire Film Screening and Discussion where students viewed a movie about the fight against the apartheid in South Africa.
November 12th was geared towards Sports for Social Change and Advocacy. Mandela talked with sports executives in a panel and later attended a field day program with the executives, Kean student-athletes and local youth groups.
Friday, November 15th, Mandela spoke at the Diversity Council High School Leadership Conference and discussed with Human Rights Institute Program Coordinator, Mindy Goldstein and Kean student leaders on the aspects of leadership and organizing.
However, it was Thursday, November 14th that the Kean community—staff, faculty, students and alumni— truly showed up for. The morning of that day was the Human Rights and NGO Career Fair where local NGOs and other Non-profit Organizations presented to students what they were all about.
But that afternoon at 3:15 p.m. Kean hosted the first of its Distinguished Lecture Series including a Q&A with Ndaba Mandela, led by Dr. David Jefferson Jr. the Acting Director of the Center for Africana Studies at Kean, in the North Ave Academic Building.
Attendees were grateful for the insight into activism and social justice that Mandela spoke of. A specific group of students who are committed to staying involved on campus took his words of advice to heart and were appreciative of his dedication to educating others on and discussing what it means to participate in the fight in human rights.
“He mentioned a phrase that we all know… if you want to go fast, you go by yourself and if you want to go far you go together, and I feel like in this society that we live in today it’s very individualistic everybody’s trying to do things on their own,” commented Annie Exi, a senior History Education major at Kean. “We lost a sense of community, so hearing that today reminded me that it’s ok to lean on the people around me in order to get far in life,”
Exi is part of the Haitian Student Association (HSA) and in the past has participated in the Kean gospel choir, her peers Cynthia Pierre, Secretary of the HSA and Lydie Philippe, Vice President of the HSA also had moments of the lecture that truly stuck with them.
“One thing that he said that I really loved, was when he mentioned the name of his book Going to the Mountain and talked about the different struggles, we [Black people] often go through,” said Pierre, a junior English and Early Childhood Education major. “So even when we make it past one thing there’s something else… it’s always more of the mountain we have to climb, “
Philippe, a senior English and Elementary Education major also added, “When he was saying don’t pour into anybody else’s stuff until you’ve poured into yours, that spoke to me, “ she explained. “You can’t help someone else until you can help yourself.”
Mandela’s lecture provided great insight into the duty of someone who is present and involved in ensuring that equity and equality are extended to all people regardless of race, religion, gender identity, and sexuality. He spoke of his journey and the influences of his grandfather but reminded the audience that those stories and experiences aren't what makes him a good leader.
“A leader isn’t somebody who is number one, a leader is not somebody who is the best, a leader is somebody who serves,” Mandela stated.
And that statement has settled in the hearts of the Kean community.
