Obama has said he considers Mandela one of -- if not the -- greatest influence in his life . U.S. President Barack Obama has made it no secret that he considers Nelson Mandela one of the greatest influences -- In `` Dreams of my Father , '' Obama recalls pleading with college trustees to divest from South Africa . He says that while it was a difficult decision for him and his family at the time, they ultimately decided against doing so because " we believed strongly that Nelson Mandela's vision would be realized through peaceful means With Mandela gravely ill , Obama did not get to visit him during his last trip to South Africa .
Obama has said he considers Mandela one of -- if not the -- greatest influence in his life . In `` Dreams of my Father , '' Obama recalls pleading with college trustees to divest from South Africa . He says that while it was a difficult decision for him and his family at the time, they ultimately decided against doing so because " we believed strongly that Nelson Mandela's vision would be realized through peaceful means With Mandela gravely ill , Obama did not get to visit him during his last trip to South Africa .