During a speech at the University of Cape Town on Sunday, President Obama spoke about his personal introduction to politics, working against apartheid in college. He challenged students in the audience to fight for what they believe, reports CNN.
Speaking at the University of Cape Town, Obama recounted how American college campaigns against investment in apartheid-era South Africa inspired him to get involved in a public cause for the first time. The school was the site of a famous speech by Sen. Robert F. Kennedy at the height of apartheid in 1966, and Obama said the leadership of figures like Kennedy, the now-ailing Mandela and Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi — who began his career as a lawyer in South Africa — "stand as a challenge to your generation."
"They tell you that your voice matters," he said. "Your ideals, your willingness to act on those ideas, your choices can make a difference. And if there's any country in the world that shows the power of human beings to effect change, this is the one" …
During the trip, Obama pledged $7 billion to help combat frequent power blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.
Read more at CNN.