Honoring An Icon: Women Are Taking To Social Media To Proclaim #IAmWinnieMandela

It’s been nearly a week since South African icon and anti-apartheid fighter Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away in Johannesburg, and people are still paying tribute to the woman known as the mother of her nation.

While celebrities and politicians — including Congresswoman Maxine Waters, supermodel Naomi Campbell, and actor Idris Elba — honored “Mama Winnie” soon after hearing of her passing on Monday, everyday women and men are taking to social media to pay homage to the fighter who dedicated so much of herself to the freedom of her people.

Through #IAmWinnieMandela, users on Twitter and Instagram share quotes and anecdotes about what Winnie Mandela’s life meant to them.

So far, the hashtag has been used nearly 4,000 times on Instagram, with many simply remembering the activist with the Xhosa word, “Amandla,” a rallying cry used during the anti-apartheid struggle which means “freedom.”