Former President Obama commemorated the 30-year anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison on Tuesday, noting the hope he felt and the chance the event presented to build a better world.

“Thirty years on, I remember the hope we all felt watching Mandela’s release from prison,” Obama tweeted. “The gift of a new way of seeing. The chance to participate in the work of building a better world. The ultimate example of perseverance and faith for each new generation to follow.”

Mandela was released Feb. 11, 1990, after spending 27 years in prison for fighting against South Africa’s apartheid system of racial segregation.

Four years later, Mandela would become South Africa’s first black president.

He died in December 2013, during Obama’s second term in office.

Obama gave a tribute to Mandela at the time, saying he was “one of the countless millions who drew inspiration” from Mandela’s life.

“And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set,” Obama said. “And so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him.”