English subtitles for clip: File:First Lady Michelle Obama Addresses Young African Women Leaders.webm

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Graça Machel:
Good morning.

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Audience:
Good morning.

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Graça Machel:
I have today the immense
pleasure of introducing to you

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Mrs. Michelle Obama, who will
be coming soon to address you,

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the First Lady of the
United States of America.

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I'd like to address
Michelle first.

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It was 35 years ago this month
on the 16th of June '76,

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that young people here in Soweto
sought the refuge from a brutal

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backlash from the apartheid
regime in response to their

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demands for quality education.

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Both before and after
this Soweto uprisings,

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Regina Mundi has become a place
which welcomes those who are

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struggling for liberation,
for people of all races and

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backgrounds, and seeking a
higher degree of justice.

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Justice for women's equality
in every sector of society,

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justice for the
poor, for children,

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and marginalized groups.

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Regina Mundi is a
symbol of resilience,

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triumph against adversity,
and young people's capacity to

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galvanize change.

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Regina Mundi remains a
heart for the community,

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and many who have met --
and continue to meet --

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within its walls are connecting
the struggles of the past,

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the struggles of our times, and
the triumphs of the future.

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Your presence, Michelle, among
us today, has a symbolism.

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You may have been a toddler
when '76 uprising took place.

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Now, in your adulthood, you
come to us and you connect that

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history, and to say the triumphs
of yesterday have to be the

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triumphs of today, and you
are empowering young women to

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continue the struggle.

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So I see a chain from the '76 to
today and the young generation

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of women leaders who are
being empowered here today,

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and you are mentoring them.

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As a world renowned leader
working to address challenges

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you have observed, such as
childhood obesity in the United

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States, Regina Mundi welcomes
you and hopes that within these

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walls you will draw renewed
strength and encouragement as

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you continue to address the
issues that will pave the way

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towards a brighter
future for all --

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A future that holds the
promises of economic, social,

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and political freedom.

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Regina Mundi's name in Latin
means "Queen of the World,"

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and we all welcome you as a
daughter of African heritage,

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and we can call you
the "Queen of Our World."

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(applause)

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Young leaders, Mrs. Obama's
visit marks the culmination of a

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program of young African women
leaders who range in age from 16

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to 30 years.

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This program has brought
together young leaders from

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across Africa to
start a conversation,

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establish a support network,
and generate ongoing mentorship.

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The young African women leaders
gathered here will also look at

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ways to respond to the challenge
that we face on our continent,

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such as health, quality
education, HIV/AIDS,

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and entrepreneurship for
development of our communities.

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So to you, young women leaders,
as you seek solutions to these

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challenges, you have before you
an inspiration in Mrs. Obama.

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From a relatively
modest start in life,

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she has risen to become one
of the undisputed leaders of

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our century.

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It is not the environment
you are born in,

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or your background -- or the
background that determines your

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potential, but the choices you
make and your determination

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to succeed.

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Michelle, as a professional, she
has pioneered and chartered her

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own course in life.

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As a partner, she stands
shoulder to shoulder with

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President Barack Obama, yet she
stands on her own with causes

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of her choice.

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As a mother, she ensures that
she continues to be there for

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Malia and Sasha, building
in them the foundation for

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successful adulthood.

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Michelle redefines womanhood
in the 21st century --

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the modern woman.

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She doesn't
sacrifice her career,

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she doesn't sacrifice
motherhood,

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she doesn't sacrifice
her marriage.

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She is a feminist by practice
without shouting slogans.

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With immense grace she has
successfully demonstrated that

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these roles are not in conflict.

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On the contrary, they are in
perfect harmony and they make a

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woman a whole.

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She is a global citizen,
representing values men and

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women feel identified with and
they feel encouraged to emulate.

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Mrs. Obama is undeniably one
of the most powerful women

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in the world.

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Yet she remains accessible and
relates to all with the same

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elegance and simplicity:
from the ordinary to the

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extraordinary, to
the young and old,

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people of all social strata.

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As a leader, she illustrates
very clearly that you can be

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powerful -- very powerful
indeed -- without being aloof,

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without imposing, and
without being aggressive.

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And being a global leader
of African heritage,

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we take pride that you
reclaim our own humanity,

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the humanity of all people
of African heritage.

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We are privileged to
have here in our midst,

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the First Lady of the
United States, Mrs. Obama,

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as well as her mother,
Mrs. Robinson,

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and her two daughters,
Malia and Sasha.

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These generations of women,
firmly grounded in the knowledge

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of their past, forging
new paths in the present,

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and laying a strong
foundation for the future.

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In these amazing women, we
have an inspiration of multiple

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generations intertwined
in beautiful harmony.

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And we welcome you Mrs.
Robinson, Sasha and Malia,

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wherever you are -- can't
see you from here --

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we are glad to have you.

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(applause)

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And now, back to
my young leaders.

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You, too, should know and draw
from the wisdom and richness of

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your past as you
build your future.

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Grasp all opportunities, make
them become possibilities.

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Run your race with
confidence and pride,

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knowing that the
sky is the limit.

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It is my privilege with these
words, and my immense pleasure,

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to introduce to you one of
the beautiful daughters of our

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times, one of the most inspiring
leaders of the world today who

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have already traced the path
of what it is to be a woman of

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modern times, of
our 21st century --

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Mrs. Michelle Obama.

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(cheers and applause)

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Choir:
♪♪(singing)♪♪

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First Lady Michelle Obama:
Oh!

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Oh.

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Thank you.

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Thank you so much.

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It is such a pleasure and an
honor to be here with all of

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you today.

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I want to start by thanking
Graça Machel for that just

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gracious, kind introduction.

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It is overwhelming.

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And I want to thank her for
her lifetime of service as a

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champion for women and children.

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And from the bottom of my heart,
I want to thank you for all of

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the kindness and generosity that
you have shown my family for our

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visit here.

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Thank you so much.

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(applause)

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I am also honored to share the
stage with another remarkable

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leader, Baleka Mbete.

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(applause)

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She has played a vital role in
advancing equality and promoting

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development here
in South Africa.

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Thank you to the both of you for
joining us here for sharing this

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moment with all of us.

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I also want to thank the
Archbishop of Johannesburg for

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honoring us today
with his presence.

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And of course, I want to
recognize our guests of honor --

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these 76 extraordinary young
women leaders from here in South

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Africa and across the continent.

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(applause)

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These are young women
transforming their communities

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and their countries, and let me
tell you I am so impressed by

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all of them.

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I am so proud of everything
they have achieved.

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And finally, I want to thank the
leaders and the congregation of

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Regina Mundi for hosting us
in this sacred space today.

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It has been more
than three decades,

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but those bullet
holes in the ceiling,

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this broken altar still stand as
vivid reminders of the history

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that unfolded here.

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And you all know the story --
how 35 years ago this month,

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a group of students planned
a peaceful protest to express

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their outrage over a new law
requiring them to take courses

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in Afrikaans.

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Thousands of them
took to the streets,

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intending to march
to Orlando Stadium.

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But when security
forces opened fire,

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some fled here to this church.

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The police followed, first with
tear gas, and then with bullets.

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And while no one was killed
within this sanctuary,

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hundreds lost their
lives that day,

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including a boy named
Hector Pieterson,

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who was just 12 years
old, and Hastings Ndlovu,

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who was just 15.

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Many of the students hadn't even
known about the protest when

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they arrived at
school that morning.

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But they agreed to take part,
knowing full well the dangers

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involved, because they were
determined to get an education

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worthy of their potential.

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And as the Archbishop noted,
that June day wasn't the first,

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or the last, time that
this church stood in the

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crosscurrents of history.

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It was referred to as "the
parliament of Soweto."

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When the congregation
sang their hymns,

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activists would make plans,
singing the locations and times

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of secret meetings.

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Church services,
and even funerals,

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often became
anti-Apartheid rallies.

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And as President
Mandela once put it,

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"Regina Mundi became a
world-wide symbol of the

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determination of our
people to free themselves."

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It is a story that has unfolded
across this country and across

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this continent, and
also in my country --

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the story of young people
20 years ago, 50 years ago,

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who marched until
their feet were raw,

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who endured beatings and bullets
and decades behind bars,

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who risked, and sacrificed,
everything they had for the

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freedom they deserved.

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And it is because of them
that we are able to gather

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here today.

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It is because of them that
so many of these young women

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leaders can now
pursue their dreams.

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It is because of them that I
stand before you as First Lady

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of the United States of America.

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(cheers and applause)

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That is the legacy of the
independence generation,

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the freedom generation.

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And all of you -- the young
people of this continent --

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you are the heirs of that blood,
sweat, sacrifice, and love.

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So the question today
is, what will you make of

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that inheritance?

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What legacy will you leave
for your children and

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your grandchildren?

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What generation will you be?

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Now, I could ask these questions
of young people in any country,

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on any continent.

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But there is a reason why I
wanted to come here to South

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Africa to speak with all of you.

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As my husband has said, Africa
is a fundamental part of our

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interconnected world.

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And when it comes to the
defining challenges of our times

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-- creating jobs in
our global economy,

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promoting democracy
and development,

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confronting climate
change, extremism,

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poverty and disease
-- for all this,

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the world is looking to
Africa as a vital partner.

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That is why my husband's
administration is not simply

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focused on extending a
helping hand to Africa,

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but focusing on partnering with
Africans who will shape their

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future by combating corruption,
and building strong democratic

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institutions, by growing new
crops, caring for the sick.

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And more than ever before, we
will be looking to all of you,

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our young people,
to lead the way.

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And I'm not just saying that
to make you all feel good.

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(laughter)

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The fact is that in Africa,
people under 25 make up 60% of

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the population.

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And here in South Africa, nearly
two-thirds of citizens are under

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the age of 30.

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So over the next 20
years, the next 50 years,

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our future will be shaped
by your leadership.

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00:19:10,328 --> 00:19:15,128
And I want to pause for a moment
on that word -- leadership --

245
00:19:15,127 --> 00:19:18,127
because I know that so often,
when we think about what that

246
00:19:18,127 --> 00:19:21,127
word means, what it
means to be a leader,

247
00:19:21,127 --> 00:19:25,697
we think of presidents
and prime ministers.

248
00:19:25,695 --> 00:19:28,825
We think of people who pass
laws or command armies,

249
00:19:28,828 --> 00:19:35,298
run big businesses, people with
fancy titles, big salaries.

250
00:19:35,294 --> 00:19:38,964
And most young people
don't fit that image.

251
00:19:38,961 --> 00:19:44,091
And I know that often when you
try to make your voices heard,

252
00:19:44,094 --> 00:19:47,824
sometimes people
don't always listen.

253
00:19:47,828 --> 00:19:51,928
I know there are those who
discount your opinions,

254
00:19:51,928 --> 00:19:58,528
who tell you you're not ready,
who say that you should sit back

255
00:19:58,528 --> 00:20:01,358
and wait your turn.

256
00:20:01,361 --> 00:20:05,491
But I am here today because when
it comes to the challenges we

257
00:20:05,494 --> 00:20:12,064
face, we simply don't have
time to sit back and wait.

258
00:20:12,061 --> 00:20:17,491
I'm here because I believe
that each of you is ready,

259
00:20:17,494 --> 00:20:22,964
right here and right now, to
start meeting these challenges.

260
00:20:22,961 --> 00:20:28,061
And I am here because I know
that true leadership --

261
00:20:28,061 --> 00:20:33,531
leadership that lifts families,
leadership that sustains

262
00:20:33,528 --> 00:20:36,428
communities and
transforms nations --

263
00:20:36,428 --> 00:20:41,098
that kind of leadership
rarely starts in palaces

264
00:20:41,094 --> 00:20:43,124
or parliaments.

265
00:20:43,127 --> 00:20:47,097
That kind of leadership is not
limited only to those of a

266
00:20:47,094 --> 00:20:50,264
certain age or status.

267
00:20:50,261 --> 00:20:53,831
And that kind of leadership is
not just about dramatic events

268
00:20:53,828 --> 00:20:57,828
that change the course of
history in an instant.

269
00:20:57,828 --> 00:21:04,928
Instead, true leadership often
happens with the smallest acts,

270
00:21:04,928 --> 00:21:09,498
in the most unexpected
places, by the most

271
00:21:09,494 --> 00:21:11,894
unlikely individuals.

272
00:21:11,895 --> 00:21:14,725
I mean, think about what
happened here in Soweto 35

273
00:21:14,728 --> 00:21:17,198
years ago.

274
00:21:17,194 --> 00:21:21,324
Many of the students who led
the uprising were younger than

275
00:21:21,328 --> 00:21:23,798
all of you.

276
00:21:23,795 --> 00:21:28,025
They carried signs made
of cardboard boxes and

277
00:21:28,027 --> 00:21:31,057
canvas sacks.

278
00:21:31,061 --> 00:21:34,861
Yet together, they propelled
this cause into the

279
00:21:34,861 --> 00:21:38,961
consciousness of the world.

280
00:21:38,961 --> 00:21:42,091
And we now celebrate National
Youth Day and National Youth

281
00:21:42,094 --> 00:21:45,764
Month every year in their honor.

282
00:21:45,761 --> 00:21:50,061
I mean, think about the
giants of the struggle --

283
00:21:50,061 --> 00:21:53,991
people like Albertina
Sisulu, whose recent passing

284
00:21:53,994 --> 00:21:56,064
we all mourn.

285
00:21:56,061 --> 00:22:00,031
Orphaned as a teenager, she
worked as a nurse to support

286
00:22:00,027 --> 00:22:02,257
her siblings.

287
00:22:02,261 --> 00:22:03,931
And when her husband,
Walter Sisulu,

288
00:22:03,928 --> 00:22:06,958
became Secretary-General
of the ANC,

289
00:22:06,961 --> 00:22:11,131
it was up to her to
provide for their family.

290
00:22:11,127 --> 00:22:14,627
When he was imprisoned
for 26 years,

291
00:22:14,628 --> 00:22:18,258
it was up to her to
continue his work.

292
00:22:18,261 --> 00:22:20,931
And that she did.

293
00:22:20,928 --> 00:22:24,728
With a mother's fierce
love for this country,

294
00:22:24,728 --> 00:22:28,628
she threw herself
into the struggle.

295
00:22:28,628 --> 00:22:32,198
She led boycotts and
sit-ins and marches,

296
00:22:32,194 --> 00:22:35,794
including the 1956
Women's March,

297
00:22:35,795 --> 00:22:39,765
when thousands of women
from across this country,

298
00:22:39,761 --> 00:22:44,891
converged on Pretoria to
protest the pass laws.

299
00:22:44,895 --> 00:22:49,925
They were women of every color,
many of them not much older than

300
00:22:49,928 --> 00:22:51,928
all of you.

301
00:22:51,928 --> 00:22:55,998
Some of them carried their
babies on their backs.

302
00:22:55,994 --> 00:23:01,364
And for 30 minutes, they
stood in complete silence,

303
00:23:01,361 --> 00:23:06,361
raising their voices only
to sing freedom songs,

304
00:23:06,361 --> 00:23:09,831
like Nkosi Sikelel iAfrica.

305
00:23:09,828 --> 00:23:16,258
Their motto was simple, but
clear: "If you strike a woman,

306
00:23:16,261 --> 00:23:18,331
you strike a rock."

307
00:23:18,328 --> 00:23:25,998
(cheers and applause)

308
00:23:25,994 --> 00:23:30,564
Ma Sisulu, the students of
Soweto, those women in Pretoria,

309
00:23:30,561 --> 00:23:35,231
they had little money,
even less status,

310
00:23:35,227 --> 00:23:37,127
no fancy titles to speak of.

311
00:23:37,127 --> 00:23:43,297
But what they had was their
vision for a free South Africa.

312
00:23:43,294 --> 00:23:48,794
What they had was an unshakeable
belief that they were worthy of

313
00:23:48,795 --> 00:23:56,095
that freedom -- and they had the
courage to act on that belief.

314
00:23:56,094 --> 00:24:00,224
Each of them chose to
be a rock for justice.

315
00:24:00,227 --> 00:24:03,857
And with countless acts of
daring and defiance, together,

316
00:24:03,861 --> 00:24:06,791
they transformed this nation.

317
00:24:06,795 --> 00:24:11,695
Together they paved the way
for free and fair elections,

318
00:24:11,695 --> 00:24:14,895
for a process of healing
and reconciliation,

319
00:24:14,895 --> 00:24:18,295
and for the rise of South Africa
as a political and economic

320
00:24:18,294 --> 00:24:23,464
leader on the world stage.

321
00:24:23,461 --> 00:24:28,061
Now, I know that as your
generation looks back on that

322
00:24:28,061 --> 00:24:33,491
struggle, and on the many
liberation movements of the past

323
00:24:33,494 --> 00:24:38,564
century, you may think that all
of the great moral struggles

324
00:24:38,561 --> 00:24:41,391
have already been won.

325
00:24:41,394 --> 00:24:47,564
As you hear the stories of lions
like Madiba and Sisulu and

326
00:24:47,561 --> 00:24:51,561
Luthuli, you may think that
you can never measure up to

327
00:24:51,561 --> 00:24:54,031
such greatness.

328
00:24:54,027 --> 00:24:57,257
But while today's challenges
might not always inspire the

329
00:24:57,261 --> 00:25:01,031
lofty rhetoric or the high
drama of struggles past,

330
00:25:01,027 --> 00:25:05,157
the injustices at hand
are no less glaring,

331
00:25:05,161 --> 00:25:08,831
the human suffering
no less acute.

332
00:25:08,828 --> 00:25:12,998
So make no mistake about it:
There are still so many causes

333
00:25:12,994 --> 00:25:15,564
worth sacrificing for.

334
00:25:15,561 --> 00:25:21,291
There is still so much
history yet to be made.

335
00:25:21,294 --> 00:25:26,494
You can be the generation that
makes the discoveries and builds

336
00:25:26,494 --> 00:25:30,964
the industries that will
transform our economies.

337
00:25:30,961 --> 00:25:35,161
You can be the generation
that brings opportunity and

338
00:25:35,161 --> 00:25:40,061
prosperity to forgotten corners
of the world and banishes hunger

339
00:25:40,061 --> 00:25:42,691
from this continent forever.

340
00:25:42,695 --> 00:25:48,965
You can be the generation that
ends HIV/AIDS in our time --

341
00:25:48,961 --> 00:25:52,631
(applause)

342
00:25:52,628 --> 00:25:56,098
-- the generation that
fights not just the disease,

343
00:25:56,094 --> 00:26:00,964
but the stigma of the disease,
the generation that teaches the

344
00:26:00,961 --> 00:26:05,931
world that HIV is fully
preventable, and treatable,

345
00:26:05,928 --> 00:26:10,128
and should never be
a source of shame.

346
00:26:10,127 --> 00:26:14,597
(applause)

347
00:26:14,594 --> 00:26:19,724
You can be the generation that
holds your leaders accountable

348
00:26:19,728 --> 00:26:23,228
for open, honest
government at every level,

349
00:26:23,227 --> 00:26:26,497
government that stamps out
corruption and protects the

350
00:26:26,494 --> 00:26:31,894
rights of every citizen to speak
freely, to worship openly,

351
00:26:31,895 --> 00:26:34,725
to love whomever they choose.

352
00:26:34,728 --> 00:26:39,028
You can be the generation to
ensure that women are no longer

353
00:26:39,027 --> 00:26:43,027
second-class citizens, that
girls take their rightful places

354
00:26:43,027 --> 00:26:44,557
in our schools.

355
00:26:44,561 --> 00:26:47,191
(applause)

356
00:26:47,194 --> 00:26:51,264
You can be the generation that
stands up and says that violence

357
00:26:51,261 --> 00:26:54,691
against women in any
form, in any place --

358
00:26:54,695 --> 00:26:55,565
(applause)

359
00:26:55,561 --> 00:26:58,061
-- including the home --
especially the home --

360
00:26:58,061 --> 00:27:00,761
that isn't just a
women's rights violation.

361
00:27:00,761 --> 00:27:03,491
It's a human rights violation.

362
00:27:03,494 --> 00:27:07,194
And it has no place
in any society.

363
00:27:07,194 --> 00:27:13,024
You see, that is the history
that your generation can make.

364
00:27:13,027 --> 00:27:15,627
Now, I have to be honest.

365
00:27:15,628 --> 00:27:19,398
Your efforts might not always
draw the world's attention,

366
00:27:19,394 --> 00:27:20,624
except for today.

367
00:27:20,628 --> 00:27:23,128
(laughter)

368
00:27:23,127 --> 00:27:27,827
You may not find yourself
leading passionate protests that

369
00:27:27,828 --> 00:27:31,558
fill stadiums and shut
down city streets.

370
00:27:31,561 --> 00:27:37,431
And the change you seek may
come slowly, little by little,

371
00:27:37,428 --> 00:27:40,528
measured not by sweeping
changes in the law,

372
00:27:40,528 --> 00:27:45,098
but by daily improvements
in people's lives.

373
00:27:45,094 --> 00:27:48,164
But I can tell you from
my own experience --

374
00:27:48,161 --> 00:27:50,761
and from my husband's
experience --

375
00:27:50,761 --> 00:27:56,091
that this work is no less
meaningful, no less inspiring,

376
00:27:56,094 --> 00:28:00,624
and no less urgent than what you
read about in the history books.

377
00:28:00,628 --> 00:28:03,998
You see, it wasn't that long
ago that my husband and I were

378
00:28:03,994 --> 00:28:05,764
young, believe it or not --

379
00:28:05,761 --> 00:28:07,531
(laughter)

380
00:28:07,528 --> 00:28:10,898
-- just starting
out our careers.

381
00:28:10,895 --> 00:28:12,865
After he graduated
from university,

382
00:28:12,861 --> 00:28:15,991
Barack got a job as a community
organizer in the struggling

383
00:28:15,994 --> 00:28:19,764
neighborhoods on the
South Side of Chicago.

384
00:28:19,761 --> 00:28:25,161
A lot of people there were out
of work and barely getting by.

385
00:28:25,161 --> 00:28:27,431
Children had few opportunities
and little hope for

386
00:28:27,428 --> 00:28:29,328
their future.

387
00:28:29,328 --> 00:28:33,658
And trust me, no one thought
that this skinny kid with the

388
00:28:33,661 --> 00:28:34,631
funny name --

389
00:28:34,628 --> 00:28:36,158
(laughter)

390
00:28:36,161 --> 00:28:39,231
-- could make much
of a difference.

391
00:28:39,227 --> 00:28:43,697
But Barack started
talking to people.

392
00:28:43,695 --> 00:28:47,025
He urged them to start
working on the change they

393
00:28:47,027 --> 00:28:49,557
wanted to see.

394
00:28:49,561 --> 00:28:54,561
Soon, slowly, folks started
coming together to fight for job

395
00:28:54,561 --> 00:28:58,091
training programs and better
schools and safer housing for

396
00:28:58,094 --> 00:29:00,324
their families.

397
00:29:00,328 --> 00:29:04,728
Slowly, the neighborhoods
started to turn around.

398
00:29:04,728 --> 00:29:09,998
Little by little, people
started feeling hopeful again.

399
00:29:09,994 --> 00:29:13,094
And that made
Barack feel hopeful.

400
00:29:13,094 --> 00:29:16,864
And I had a similar
experience in my own career.

401
00:29:16,861 --> 00:29:20,931
Like my husband, I came
from a modest background.

402
00:29:20,928 --> 00:29:24,898
My parents saved and sacrificed
everything they had so that I

403
00:29:24,895 --> 00:29:27,195
could get an education.

404
00:29:27,194 --> 00:29:32,194
And when I graduated, got a job
at a big, fancy law firm --

405
00:29:32,194 --> 00:29:35,524
nice salary, big office.

406
00:29:35,528 --> 00:29:37,658
My friends were impressed.

407
00:29:37,661 --> 00:29:40,261
My family was proud.

408
00:29:40,261 --> 00:29:44,161
By all accounts, I
was living the dream.

409
00:29:44,161 --> 00:29:47,161
But I knew something
was missing.

410
00:29:47,161 --> 00:29:50,631
I knew I didn't want to be way
up in some tall building all

411
00:29:50,628 --> 00:29:53,928
alone in an office
writing memos.

412
00:29:53,928 --> 00:29:57,258
I wanted to be down on the
ground working with kids,

413
00:29:57,261 --> 00:29:59,991
helping families put food
on the table and a roof

414
00:29:59,994 --> 00:30:01,424
over their heads.

415
00:30:01,428 --> 00:30:06,798
So I left that job for a new
job training young people like

416
00:30:06,795 --> 00:30:10,495
yourselves for careers
in public service.

417
00:30:10,494 --> 00:30:12,924
I was making a lot less money.

418
00:30:12,928 --> 00:30:14,758
My office wasn't so nice.

419
00:30:14,761 --> 00:30:16,031
(laughter)

420
00:30:16,027 --> 00:30:22,127
But every day, I got to watch
those young people gain skills

421
00:30:22,127 --> 00:30:24,727
and build confidence.

422
00:30:24,728 --> 00:30:28,658
And then I saw them go on
to mentor and inspire other

423
00:30:28,661 --> 00:30:30,761
young people.

424
00:30:30,761 --> 00:30:33,761
And that made me feel inspired.

425
00:30:33,761 --> 00:30:36,591
It still does.

426
00:30:36,594 --> 00:30:40,994
See, my husband and I, we
didn't change any laws,

427
00:30:40,994 --> 00:30:46,924
we didn't win any awards, get
our pictures in the paper.

428
00:30:46,928 --> 00:30:51,428
But we were making a
difference in people's lives.

429
00:30:51,428 --> 00:30:55,898
We were part of something
greater than ourselves.

430
00:30:55,895 --> 00:30:59,165
And we knew that in
our own small way,

431
00:30:59,161 --> 00:31:03,331
we were helping to
build a better world.

432
00:31:03,328 --> 00:31:07,428
And that is precisely what so
many young people are doing

433
00:31:07,428 --> 00:31:10,458
every day across this continent.

434
00:31:10,461 --> 00:31:17,661
These 76 young women are
outstanding examples.

435
00:31:17,661 --> 00:31:22,461
Take Gqibelo Dandala from
here in South Africa.

436
00:31:22,461 --> 00:31:26,291
She left a lucrative career in
investment banking to found the

437
00:31:26,294 --> 00:31:29,324
Future of the African
Daughter Project,

438
00:31:29,328 --> 00:31:32,828
an organization that lifts
up young women in rural and

439
00:31:32,828 --> 00:31:34,798
township areas.

440
00:31:34,795 --> 00:31:39,625
Of her work, she says: "...we
are building a legacy which will

441
00:31:39,628 --> 00:31:44,528
outlive and outgrow us..."

442
00:31:44,528 --> 00:31:47,728
And then there's Robyn Kriel.

443
00:31:47,728 --> 00:31:53,128
She's a young reporter from
Zimbabwe who has written about

444
00:31:53,127 --> 00:31:57,757
corruption and human rights
abuses in her country.

445
00:31:57,761 --> 00:32:01,691
She was beaten by
police; her home raided,

446
00:32:01,695 --> 00:32:04,525
her mother imprisoned.

447
00:32:04,528 --> 00:32:08,458
But she still hasn't lost her
passion for reporting, because,

448
00:32:08,461 --> 00:32:13,931
as she put it, the people of
Zimbabwe "want their stories

449
00:32:13,928 --> 00:32:16,228
to be told."

450
00:32:16,227 --> 00:32:22,227
And then there's Grace Nanyonga,
who joins us today from Uganda.

451
00:32:22,227 --> 00:32:23,157
Hey, Grace!

452
00:32:23,161 --> 00:32:28,831
(applause)

453
00:32:28,828 --> 00:32:29,958
You go, girl.

454
00:32:29,961 --> 00:32:33,661
(laughter)

455
00:32:33,661 --> 00:32:40,031
Orphaned at the age of 13, she
started cooking and selling fish

456
00:32:40,027 --> 00:32:45,557
during her school vacations
to support her six siblings.

457
00:32:45,561 --> 00:32:50,791
Determined to get an education,
she founded her own company,

458
00:32:50,795 --> 00:32:55,595
and she made enough money to
put herself through university.

459
00:32:55,594 --> 00:32:59,024
And she's now started an
organization that trains local

460
00:32:59,027 --> 00:33:03,097
women to work at her company
so that they can support their

461
00:33:03,094 --> 00:33:04,494
own families.

462
00:33:04,494 --> 00:33:12,894
(applause)

463
00:33:12,895 --> 00:33:16,895
Of her achievements, she says,
simply -- these are her words --

464
00:33:16,895 --> 00:33:20,865
"I made it against all odds" and
"I want to be an example for

465
00:33:20,861 --> 00:33:27,531
girls in my country and beyond."

466
00:33:27,528 --> 00:33:33,298
Now, Grace could have been
content to make lots of money,

467
00:33:33,294 --> 00:33:36,524
and just provide
for her own family.

468
00:33:36,528 --> 00:33:39,498
Gqibelo could have climbed
the corporate ladder,

469
00:33:39,494 --> 00:33:41,264
and never looked back.

470
00:33:41,261 --> 00:33:41,931
Where is she?

471
00:33:41,928 --> 00:33:42,828
Please stand.

472
00:33:42,828 --> 00:33:43,958
Grace got to stand.

473
00:33:43,961 --> 00:33:44,861
(laughter)

474
00:33:44,861 --> 00:33:45,831
Come on, where is she?

475
00:33:45,828 --> 00:33:46,698
Is she out there?

476
00:33:46,695 --> 00:33:55,265
(applause)

477
00:33:55,261 --> 00:34:01,361
And no one would've blamed
Robyn -- where's Robyn?

478
00:34:01,361 --> 00:34:07,891
(applause)

479
00:34:07,895 --> 00:34:11,925
No one would have blamed Robyn
if after all she'd been through

480
00:34:11,928 --> 00:34:17,958
she decided to quit reporting
and pursue an easier career.

481
00:34:17,961 --> 00:34:22,761
But these young women -- and
these are just examples of

482
00:34:22,761 --> 00:34:27,591
stories that go on and on --
these young women could not be

483
00:34:27,594 --> 00:34:31,624
content with their own comfort
and success when they knew that

484
00:34:31,628 --> 00:34:34,958
other people were struggling.

485
00:34:34,961 --> 00:34:41,061
You see, that's how people of
conscience view the world.

486
00:34:41,061 --> 00:34:45,291
It's the belief, as
my husband often says,

487
00:34:45,294 --> 00:34:49,024
that if any child goes
hungry, that matters to me,

488
00:34:49,027 --> 00:34:52,327
even if she's not my child.

489
00:34:52,328 --> 00:34:56,198
(applause)

490
00:34:56,194 --> 00:34:59,494
If any family is
devastated by disease,

491
00:34:59,494 --> 00:35:02,794
then I cannot be content
with my own good health.

492
00:35:02,795 --> 00:35:07,295
If anyone is persecuted
because of how they look,

493
00:35:07,294 --> 00:35:10,494
or what they believe, then
that diminishes my freedom and

494
00:35:10,494 --> 00:35:13,464
threatens my rights as well.

495
00:35:13,461 --> 00:35:18,731
And in the end, that sense
of interconnectedness,

496
00:35:18,728 --> 00:35:23,958
that depth of compassion, that
determination to act in the face

497
00:35:23,961 --> 00:35:32,191
of impossible odds, those are
the qualities of mind and heart

498
00:35:32,194 --> 00:35:36,394
that I hope will
define your generation.

499
00:35:36,394 --> 00:35:40,224
I hope that all of you will
reject the false comfort that

500
00:35:40,227 --> 00:35:45,257
others' suffering
is not your concern,

501
00:35:45,261 --> 00:35:48,891
or if you can't solve
all the world's problems,

502
00:35:48,895 --> 00:35:51,925
then you shouldn't even try.

503
00:35:51,928 --> 00:35:54,598
Instead, as one of our
great American presidents,

504
00:35:54,594 --> 00:36:00,464
Teddy Roosevelt, liked to say,
I hope that you will commit

505
00:36:00,461 --> 00:36:05,131
yourselves to doing "what you
can, with what you've got,

506
00:36:05,127 --> 00:36:09,657
where you are,"
because in the end,

507
00:36:09,661 --> 00:36:13,961
that is what makes you a lion.

508
00:36:13,961 --> 00:36:21,061
Not fortune, not fame, not your
pictures in history books,

509
00:36:21,061 --> 00:36:24,231
but the refusal to remain a
bystander when others are

510
00:36:24,227 --> 00:36:29,657
suffering, and that commitment
to serve however you can,

511
00:36:29,661 --> 00:36:31,991
where you are.

512
00:36:31,994 --> 00:36:34,424
Now, it will not be easy.

513
00:36:34,428 --> 00:36:36,598
You women know that already.

514
00:36:36,594 --> 00:36:42,294
You will have failures and
setbacks and critics and plenty

515
00:36:42,294 --> 00:36:46,824
of moments of
frustration and doubt.

516
00:36:46,828 --> 00:36:50,158
But if you ever
start to lose heart,

517
00:36:50,161 --> 00:36:53,891
I brought you all here today
because I want you to think of

518
00:36:53,895 --> 00:36:56,065
each other.

519
00:36:56,061 --> 00:37:01,191
Think about Grace, supporting
her family by herself.

520
00:37:01,194 --> 00:37:04,794
And think about Robyn, who
endured that beating so she

521
00:37:04,795 --> 00:37:07,825
could tell other
people's stories.

522
00:37:07,828 --> 00:37:12,258
Think about Ma Sisulu,
raising her kids alone,

523
00:37:12,261 --> 00:37:15,731
surviving banishment,
exile, and prison.

524
00:37:15,728 --> 00:37:20,028
You know, when reflecting on her
journey, Ma Sisulu once said,

525
00:37:20,027 --> 00:37:26,897
with her signature humility,
she said, "All these years,

526
00:37:26,895 --> 00:37:31,025
I never had a comfortable life."

527
00:37:31,027 --> 00:37:35,427
So you may not always
have a comfortable life.

528
00:37:35,428 --> 00:37:39,458
And you will not always be
able to solve all the world's

529
00:37:39,461 --> 00:37:42,391
problems all at once.

530
00:37:42,394 --> 00:37:48,024
But don't ever underestimate
the impact you can have,

531
00:37:48,027 --> 00:37:54,327
because history has shown us
that courage can be contagious,

532
00:37:54,328 --> 00:37:58,198
and hope can take on
a life of its own.

533
00:37:58,194 --> 00:38:02,224
It's what happens when folks
start asking questions --

534
00:38:02,227 --> 00:38:05,427
a father asks, "Why should
my son go to school,

535
00:38:05,428 --> 00:38:07,498
but not my daughter?"

536
00:38:07,494 --> 00:38:09,994
Or a mother asks, "Why should I
pay a bribe to start a business

537
00:38:09,994 --> 00:38:11,394
to support my family?"

538
00:38:11,394 --> 00:38:15,924
Or a student stands up and
declares, "Yes, I have HIV,

539
00:38:15,928 --> 00:38:18,798
and here's how I'm treating it,
and here's how we can stop it

540
00:38:18,795 --> 00:38:20,695
from spreading."

541
00:38:20,695 --> 00:38:24,765
See, and then soon, they
inspire others to start

542
00:38:24,761 --> 00:38:27,231
asking questions.

543
00:38:27,227 --> 00:38:30,957
They inspire others to
start stepping forward.

544
00:38:30,961 --> 00:38:34,431
And those are the "ripples of
hope" that a young U.S. senator

545
00:38:34,428 --> 00:38:37,858
named Robert Kennedy spoke
of when he came here to South

546
00:38:37,861 --> 00:38:42,391
Africa 45 years ago this month.

547
00:38:42,394 --> 00:38:45,494
In his words, he said, the
"numberless diverse acts of

548
00:38:45,494 --> 00:38:49,824
courage and belief which can
sweep down the mightiest walls

549
00:38:49,828 --> 00:38:52,928
of oppression and resistance."

550
00:38:52,928 --> 00:38:58,298
And that is how a church
can become a parliament.

551
00:38:58,294 --> 00:39:02,894
That is how a hymn can
be a call to action.

552
00:39:02,895 --> 00:39:06,625
That is how a group of young
people with nothing more than

553
00:39:06,628 --> 00:39:11,828
handmade signs and a belief in
their own God-given potential

554
00:39:11,828 --> 00:39:15,498
can galvanize a nation.

555
00:39:15,494 --> 00:39:19,624
And that's how young people
around the world can inspire

556
00:39:19,628 --> 00:39:25,458
each other, and draw
strength from each other.

557
00:39:25,461 --> 00:39:29,891
I'm thinking today of the young
activists who gathered at the

558
00:39:29,895 --> 00:39:34,165
American Library here in
Soweto to read the speeches of

559
00:39:34,161 --> 00:39:38,061
Dr. Martin Luther King
for their inspiration.

560
00:39:38,061 --> 00:39:42,161
And I'm thinking of how Dr. King
drew inspiration from Chief

561
00:39:42,161 --> 00:39:46,491
Luthuli and the young people
here in South Africa.

562
00:39:46,494 --> 00:39:49,894
And I'm thinking about how young
South Africans singing the

563
00:39:49,895 --> 00:39:53,965
American civil rights anthem "We
Shall Overcome" in the streets

564
00:39:53,961 --> 00:39:57,131
of Cape Town and Durban.

565
00:39:57,127 --> 00:40:01,327
And I'm thinking of how Nkosi
Sikelel iAfrica echoed through

566
00:40:01,328 --> 00:40:04,558
university campuses in
the U.S., as students --

567
00:40:04,561 --> 00:40:08,091
including my husband -- planned
boycotts to support students

568
00:40:08,094 --> 00:40:11,764
here in South Africa.

569
00:40:11,761 --> 00:40:16,791
And I'm thinking of this church
and how those stained windows

570
00:40:16,795 --> 00:40:22,965
depicting the struggle were
donated by the people of Poland,

571
00:40:22,961 --> 00:40:26,491
and how the peace pole in the
park outside was donated by

572
00:40:26,494 --> 00:40:32,064
people from Japan,
and how every week,

573
00:40:32,061 --> 00:40:37,361
visitors from every corner of
the globe come here to bear

574
00:40:37,361 --> 00:40:42,831
witness and draw inspiration
from your history.

575
00:40:42,828 --> 00:40:50,128
And finally, I'm thinking of
the history of my own country.

576
00:40:50,127 --> 00:40:53,457
I mean, America won its
independence more than two

577
00:40:53,461 --> 00:40:56,031
centuries ago.

578
00:40:56,027 --> 00:41:01,397
It has been nearly 50 years
since the victories of our own

579
00:41:01,394 --> 00:41:04,124
civil rights movement.

580
00:41:04,127 --> 00:41:09,457
Yet we still struggle every day
to perfect our union and live up

581
00:41:09,461 --> 00:41:11,631
to our ideals.

582
00:41:11,628 --> 00:41:17,598
And every day, it is our young
people who are leading the way.

583
00:41:17,594 --> 00:41:20,924
They are the ones
enlisting in our military.

584
00:41:20,928 --> 00:41:23,328
They're the ones teaching
in struggling schools,

585
00:41:23,328 --> 00:41:27,958
volunteering countless hours in
countless ways in communities.

586
00:41:27,961 --> 00:41:30,231
And in this last
presidential election,

587
00:41:30,227 --> 00:41:33,857
they were engaged in our
democracy like never before.

588
00:41:33,861 --> 00:41:36,391
They studied the issues,
followed the campaign,

589
00:41:36,394 --> 00:41:40,024
knocked on doors in the freezing
snow and the blazing sun,

590
00:41:40,027 --> 00:41:41,727
urging people to vote.

591
00:41:41,728 --> 00:41:47,098
They waited in line for
hours to cast their ballots.

592
00:41:47,094 --> 00:41:50,764
And I have seen
that same passion,

593
00:41:50,761 --> 00:41:55,361
that same determination to serve
in young people I have met all

594
00:41:55,361 --> 00:42:00,331
across the world, from
India to El Salvador,

595
00:42:00,328 --> 00:42:06,098
from Mexico to the United
Kingdom to here in South Africa.

596
00:42:06,094 --> 00:42:12,824
So today, I want you to know
that as you work to lift up your

597
00:42:12,828 --> 00:42:19,198
families, your communities,
your countries and your world,

598
00:42:19,194 --> 00:42:22,364
know that you are never alone.

599
00:42:22,361 --> 00:42:24,991
You are never alone.

600
00:42:24,994 --> 00:42:27,764
As Bobby Kennedy said here in
South Africa all those years

601
00:42:27,761 --> 00:42:32,231
ago: "...you are joined with
fellow young people in every

602
00:42:32,227 --> 00:42:36,557
land, they struggling with their
problems and you with yours,

603
00:42:36,561 --> 00:42:41,591
but all joined in a common
purpose...determined to build a

604
00:42:41,594 --> 00:42:43,894
better future."

605
00:42:43,895 --> 00:42:50,595
And if anyone of you ever doubts
that you can build that future,

606
00:42:50,594 --> 00:42:56,424
if anyone ever tells you that
you shouldn't or you can't,

607
00:42:56,428 --> 00:42:59,998
then I want you to
say with one voice --

608
00:42:59,994 --> 00:43:06,464
the voice of a generation --
you tell them, "Yes, we can."

609
00:43:06,461 --> 00:43:07,361
What do you say?

610
00:43:07,361 --> 00:43:09,831
Yes, we can.

611
00:43:09,828 --> 00:43:10,858
What do you say?

612
00:43:10,861 --> 00:43:13,031
Yes, we can!

613
00:43:13,027 --> 00:43:13,957
What do you say?

614
00:43:13,961 --> 00:43:16,561
Audience:
Yes, we can!

615
00:43:16,561 --> 00:43:17,731
First Lady Michelle Obama:
Thank you all so much.

616
00:43:17,728 --> 00:43:18,558
God bless you.

617
00:43:18,561 --> 00:43:36,191
(cheers and applause)