One such person was a fugitive slave turned prominent abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman. Tubman, who was born into slavery in Maryland in the early 1820s, managed to escape to freedom in 1849 before repeatedly risking her life to assist other slaves in escaping via the Underground Railroad. She frequently travelled alone and at great personal risk on numerous visits to the South, where she assisted in the abolition of hundreds of slaves. She worked with the Union Army's army as a spy, cook, nurse, and cook during the Civil War.
Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl who resisted the Taliban and advocated for girls' education, serves as another illustration. She started advocating for education in the public at the age of 11, even when the Taliban seized power in Swat, her native district, and forbade girls from attending school. Malala was shot in the head by a Taliban sniper in 2012 when she was 15 years old and travelling to school by bus. She miraculously survived the assault and went on to speak out even more strongly in favour of education. In 2014, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nelson Mandela is still another illustration, having served 27 years in prison for his anti-apartheid efforts in South Africa. Mandela never gave up his fight for justice and equality in spite of the difficult circumstances and seclusion of his detention. He continued his activity after being freed in 1990 and eventually became the first democratically elected President of South Africa. He worked diligently to create a society that was more equitable and equal.
These are only a handful of the innumerable "unbroken spirits" that have defied the odds with extraordinary bravery and audacity throughout history. These experiences serve as a reminder that, whatever the challenges we face, we always have the ability to choose how we will react. We have the option of giving up and succumbing to hopelessness or using our inner fortitude and tenacity to go over even the most difficult obstacles.
Murray, L. (2017). Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. National Geographic Society.
Yousafzai, M., & Lamb, C. (2013). I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. Little, Brown.
