Day of Affirmation Address

Day of Affirmation Address

Robert Kennedy delivering his speech in Jameson Hall. To the right is the chair left empty to signify Ian Robertson's absence
Date	June 6, 1966; 58 years ago (1966-06-06)
Duration	33:52 minutes
Venue	Jameson Hall, University of Cape Town
Location	Cape Town, South Africa
Also known as	"Ripple of Hope" Speech
Theme	Apartheid/Civil rights/Activism

This article is part of a series about Robert F. Kennedy
Personal 1948 Palestine visit Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation Kennedy Compound Hickory Hill The Enemy Within The Pursuit of Justice To Seek a Newer World Thirteen Days: A Memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis Family U.S. Attorney General Law Day Address Baldwin–Kennedy meeting U.S. Senator from New York 1964 election Day of Affirmation Address Mississippi Delta tour Presidential campaign 1968 presidential campaign primaries Boiler Room Girls "Conflict in Vietnam and at Home" University of Kansas remarks Ball State University speech Martin Luther King Jr. assassination speech "On the Mindless Menace of Violence" Assassination and legacy Assassination Perpetrator Ambassador Hotel Grave conspiracy theories Department of Justice Building silver dollar Center for Justice and Human Rights Human Rights Award Journalism Award Book Award Memorial Stadium Brooklyn Memorial Landmark for Peace Memorial Arch of Dignity, Equality, and Justice Kennedy–King College Community Schools Bridge In media
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Robert F. Kennedy's Day of Affirmation Address (also known as the "Ripple of Hope" Speech^[1]) is a speech given to National Union of South African Students members at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, on June 6, 1966, on the University's "Day of Reaffirmation of Academic and Human Freedom". Kennedy was at the time the junior U.S. senator from New York. His overall trip brought much US attention to Africa as a whole.

In the address Kennedy talked about individual liberty, Apartheid, and the need for justice in the United States at a time when the American civil rights movement was ongoing. He emphasized inclusiveness and the importance of youth involvement in society. The speech shook up the political situation in South Africa and received praise in the media. It is often considered his greatest and most famous speech.