Nelson Mandela: Sacrifice and Leadership for Freedom

“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people" (2013). This quote is one of Nelson Mandela 's famous quotes relating to how some leaders are not fit to govern people because they are not willing to sacrifice all that they have for the good of the people. “Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa”(Mandela). Mandela touch many lives throughout his life. He even touched the lives of people who never met him in face to face. Many people felt like they knew him by listening to his words and from the actions he took to make South Africa a better place. He had so much conviction in the way he did things. He was an inspiring person that many people still try to live their life in example

Nelson Mandela was born during a time in South Africa where the British queen Elizabeth II was in charge of the country. The apartheid system was a system of racial separation enforced by the national party. The whites where treated in higher standards then other races. When Mandela was born it set off a chain of events to make South Africans living conditions far better than anyone could ever imagine. (2013) Mandela knew he was different the moment he started going to school. He was raised in a culture where he could live free. Mandela knew he wanted to make in a difference in the world. In The Life and Times of Nelson Mandela article it says “Hearing the elders’ stories of his ancestors’ valour during the wars of resistance, he dreamed also of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people”(2014). Mandela knew God had a purpose in the world for him and no matter what conflicts got in his way, he was going to make a difference in the world. When he started school Mandela started to take notice the segregation throughout the country. He was treated differently then other privilege students in his classes. He even had to change his birth name to Nelson because the teacher could not pronounce “Rolihlahla” and “...in accordance with the custom to give all school children “Christian” names”(2014). From this Mandela started to take notice from his earlier

In the Nelson Mandela Biography it says, “Mandela soon became actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement, joining the African National Congress in 1942”(Mandela 2014). The goal of this group was to gain support by masses of people to bring down the current government because the other tactics used by groups were not showing any results. The group had many protests by the use of “boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-cooperation” (Mandela 2014). In addition, He is known for spending time in jail because of his beliefs and the South African government were afraid of his popularity and followers that believed in his words. Between the years 1956 and 1963, Mandela was arrested three times because of his protests and strikes. On his third arrest him and ten others were charged and convicted for life sentences. Mandela was released from Prison in 1990 after spending 27 years incarnated. For the next four years, Mandela became the president of the African National Congress and had many talks with the current of South Africa President F.W. de Klerk to find solutions for Black South African people these talks eventually lead to gaining them more rights. Because of the communication between them and the efforts to make better South African into better living conditions, Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk were awarded the Peace