• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

China suffers another setback in effort to de-dollarize global finance as anchor in the greenback's dominance quietly exits Beijing's payment scheme

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

China suffers another setback in effort to de-dollarize global finance as anchor in the greenback's dominance quietly exits Beijing's payment scheme
LeadershipBarack Obama

Barack Obama Will Discuss Diversity and Human Rights in His Nelson Mandela Speech—But Probably Not Donald Trump

By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
David Meyer
David Meyer
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 17, 2018, 7:20 AM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama will on Tuesday give the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Obama will be the second former U.S. president to deliver the lecture—the first was Bill Clinton in 2003, when the annual lecture was inaugurated. Others to deliver the speech have included Microsoft founder Bill Gates, superstar economist Thomas Piketty, and anti-apartheid struggle veteran Desmond Tutu.

Obama’s speech will be particularly significant, coming on the day before the centenary of Mandela’s birth. Mandela, who was South Africa’s first black president and even before that an international icon for his struggle against the racist apartheid system, died in 2013—Obama gave a lengthy address at his memorial.

Those giving the Nelson Mandela lectures are supposed to “drive debate on significant social issues…in order to address the challenges we face today,” according to the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

The big question is whether, a day after President Donald Trump’s widely panned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin—in which Trump opted to believe Putin’s denial of Russian tampering with the 2016 election over that of his own Justice Department and intelligence services—Obama will make any reference to his successor.

According to Obama aide Ben Rhodes, speaking to Associated Press, Obama will not refer to Trump directly. However, some may read a Trump reference into Rhodes’s explanation of Obama’s theme: “At the current moment we’re in, values that we thought were well-established—the importance of human rights, respect for diversity—in many parts of the world those values are under threat.”

Whatever he says, Obama has not given many public speeches since he stepped down as president, so many people will be listening.

About the Author
By David Meyer
LinkedIn icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Leadership


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.