Obama has said he considers Mandela one of -- if not the -- greatest influence in his life . Obama , a senator at the time , was riding to a Washington event when his office called ; Mandela was in town and asked to see him . In ` ` Portrait of my Father , '' Obama is pleading with college students to divest from South Africa . Obama met Mandela for the first time in 2005 . With him 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 ` ` Portrait of my Father , '' Obama is pleading with college students to divest from South Africa . Obama met Mandela for the first time in 2005 . With him gravely ill , Obama did not get to visit him during his last trip to South Africa .