Nelson Mandela is remembered as a great man and peaceful advocate of supreme rights for all humans, wanting to bring a change into society and break bigotries apart. To honor this exemplary man, Nelson Mandela International Day is celebrated on his birthday—July 18th of every year, making celebrations all across the world spark with zeal and zest. The first Nelson Mandela International Day was commemorated by the United Nations on July 18th of 2010, and since then, the practice has been going on globally to honor Nelson Mandela’s ideology and let it live on.

Illustration from Lindsey McDivitt’s book A Plan for the People, illustrated by Charly Palmer


The Nelson Mandela Foundation encourages everyone to not look away from all the injustices of the world, but rather to partake in a social cause and follow in his footsteps to make a difference. Having said that, let’s make this day a reminder for all the communities that are facing insufferable prejudice by the hands of others to never give up.

“We believe that the vehicle for sharing memory, for growing it and for engaging it in the pursuit of social justice is dialogue.” —The Nelson Mandela Foundation

Illustration from Lindsey McDivitt’s book A Plan for the People, illustrated by Charly Palmer

Looking for a great children’s book on Nelson Mandela? Check out A Plan for the People: Nelson Mandela’s Hope for His Nation.


A Plan for the People

Nelson Mandela’s Hope for His Nation

Written by Lindsey McDivitt
Illustrated by Charly Palmer


“Beautiful, informative, essential.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


“Palmer employs vivid colors and vigorous brushwork that capture his subject’s charisma admirably. . . . Rewarding reading for students of any country or culture afflicted with racial conflicts.” —Booklist


“Highly recommended for libraries that need titles about the ongoing global fight against racism. Mandela’s journey makes for a powerful reminder of the ability to change.”
School Library Journal (starred)

“By the time the book shows Mandela freed and elected president, the reader is full of admiration for this passionate and talented leader whose dedication earned him the nicknames of Madiba, ‘honored elder’; and Tata, ‘beloved Father of a new country.’ Palmer’s dramatic paintings use dynamic brushstrokes to create engaging portraits of the eminently recognizable Mandela and of the world he influenced.” —The Horn Book Magazine