Freedom fighter, prisoner, president and constant hero: 2013 concluded with the death of a leader beloved by millions. On Dec. 5, mourning blanketed the world upon hearing news of leader Nelson Mandela’s passing at age 95. Despite spending roughly three decades of his life imprisoned for his efforts against segregation in South Africa, Mandela persistently battled apartheid, the legal means by which the South African government enforced racial discrimination. In 1994, he became South Africa’s first black president as well as the face of justice and hope for the country. He brought attention to apartheid throughout the world, and it was his determination to one day see racial equality that eradicated apartheid in South Africa. Mandela once said he would always fight for racial equality.

     “I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all during my life; I fight it now and will do so until the end of my days,” he said.

     He stayed true to this mantra until the very end of his life. Although 2013 was marked with the tragedy of his death, he will remain an inspiration in the hearts and souls of millions.