How could a man become president of such a strong country after being imprisoned for nearly three decades and being a minority race? His name was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. He is a true inspiration to those who hear his story. Starting out as nothing more than a black man and ending as a person whose name is heard and recognized all over the world is something that just briefly explains Nelson Mandela’s life. As a true anti-apartheid Nelson Mandela did wonders for equality with much power even when imprisoned for nearly three decades. Nelson Mandela was a man admired by the world for his perseverance in his devotion to equality and becoming president after being incarcerated for 27 years meanwhile maintaining respect from the whole world.
Born on the 18th of July in the year 1918, Thembu of the Madiba clan accepted the first born son in the family by the name Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. Having 13 brothers and sisters, Mandela seemed to be the trouble maker in the family. As Alex Perry states, “Rebellion was in his blood” (26). This trouble making characteristic seemed to be the result of his loathing toward the method of apartheid. Apartheid which translates to “apartness” was a system of racism in South Africa. Those who were black faced the worst of all the discrimination by not being allowed to own property rights in the majority of areas, denied the right to vote and have certain occupations. Most blacks weren’t even allowed matrimony to a white woman. These were the types of hardships that Nelson Mandela experienced and most of all, despised. As Mandela aged into maturity, he began to express his feeling on the government and their participation in apartheid. Mandela quite often expressed his views through the act of protes...
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...thing he sacrificed and worked for finally paid off. Helping Mandela on his autobiography, Rick Stengel said that “Through all Mandela’s great challenges, he never lost sight of his overarching goal: achieving freedom for his people and enlarging the circle of freedom for all” (Gibbs 1). Nelson Mandela was and still is a true inspiration to the world. The footprints he left on this Earth on December 5, 2013 sure did leave a mark. (Villarosa 44)
Works Cited
Gibbs, Nancy. "The Long Walk Comes To An End." Time (2013): 1. TOPICsearch. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Perry, Alex. "Protester." Time (2013): 26. TOPICsearch. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Smolowe, Jill, et al. "Nelson Mandela 1918--2013." People 20.26 (2013): 62. TOPICsearch. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
"South African protest marchers whipped and tear gassed." Toronto Star (Canada) 28 Aug. 1985: Newspaper Source. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
...a stood for change throughout his whole life, no matter what hardships he encountered. Mandela continued to help the world after his presidency through humanitarian causes by creating the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which focused on rural development, school building and battling HIV/AIDS. Mandela has become widely known as the “father of the nation” in South Africa, where many regard him as a national hero. Nelson Mandela has also been called one of the greatest humans of the past century.
Throughout his 95 years of living, Nelson Mandela earned the title of many things: global peacemaker, civil rights activist, writer, president, politician, philanthropist, and many more. As an active member of the anti-apartheid movement in 1942, Mandela was known for peaceful and non-violent protests against South Africa's government and their policy of Apartheid, a system of racial segregation. After 20 years of these attempts, realizing non-violence was not working to put an end to apartheid, Mandela moved on to armed struggle. The African National Congress was made illegal and Mandela was put in prison for 27 years for political offenses; sabotage and guerrilla war tactics, after coordinating a workers' strike. 18 of those 27 years in prison
Web. 18 Dec. 2013. . Nelson Mandela Foundation. " Biography - Nelson Mandela."
Nelson Mandela was a well-known South African politician, philanthropist, and an anti-apartheid revolutionary, born on eighteenth of July 1918. He served as the South African President from the year 1944 to 1999. He is known as the first South African chief executive, and also the first person to be elected in a free and Democratic election. After he was elected, the government of Nelson Mandela focused on dismantling and destroying the widely spread legacy of apartheid that was reigning in South Africa. He tackled these issues by dealing with institutionalised racism, inequality, and poverty. He also made an effort to foster racial reconciliation (Downing & Jr, 1992). He served as the African National Congress President, as a democratic and an African nationalist, from the year 1991 to 1997. Nelson Mandela was appointed the Secretary General from 1998 to 1999, of the Movement of Non-Alignment. Mandela studied Law when he attended the University of Witwatersrand and Fort Hare University. He got involved in anti-colonial politics at the time he lived in Johannesburg. He joined the ANC and later became a founding and prominent member of the Youth league. Nelson Mandela came to power after the National party of South Africa. He ascended to grea...
Nelson Mandela was and will continue to be one of the most influential people throughout history. The mistreatment he endured, the struggles he encountered, and the racial discrimination he faced did not stop him from accomplishing the goal he set forth for him and his people. Nelson Mandela, Rolihlahla, was the son of a chief of the Madiba clan. After his father's death he was sent to live with Jongintaba Dalindyebo, a high-ranking Thembu regent, who provided him with the best education blacks could receive. After protesting local injustices in his community he fled to Johannesburg to escape an arranged marriage. During his time there he became involved in the movement against racial discrimination , he was later arrested in which in time
Activist, lawyer, father, prisoner, survivor, president, the face of equality. Nelson Mandela has an inspiring story of fighting Apartheid forces and surviving a long prison sentence all in the name of freedom and equal rights. Through Nelson Mandela’s constant fight for freedom of the African people from white apartheid forces, he was dominated by the corrupt government. After uprising numerous riots against apartheid forces, Mandela was sent to jail for twenty-seven years revealing the cruelty that humans can possess. With the strong will power and complete support of the African people, Mandela survived his prison sentence and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa exposing the strength in human nature by showing that humans can persevere through tough times. Mandela left a profound impact on the African people by saving them from corrupt Apartheid rule and bringing a democratic government. Thus teaching the world that in an event where a body of people is suppressed, they will inevitably rebel by any means necessary to gain their freedom.
From being the first president of colour in South Africa or the first president of any country that has gone to prison. Trusted with the pride and salvation, Nelson Mandela remained invictus throughout his lifetime. He will forever be remembered as one of the most influential personalities of all time. In a conversation with former Sprinboks captain Francois Hougaard, he said “I was put in a tiny cell for something I didn’t do and yet, I lead those people in my country now. I must not stoop to their level and not feel anger. For without those people, I wouldn’t be the person I am today” - Nelson Mandela. History shows his significance to the human race. He is basically the equivalent to a God. He became the father of a nation, and all because he had a loyal following when he was released from
In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was a prominent leader of South Africa who had made many changes for the Africans as a whole of South Africa. Mandela did what he had to for the humanity of people no matter the outcome of the thorough situations and circumstances he was put in. Mandela never let what was meant to be his downfall change his mind set or his push and his motivation to what his bigger picture and his bigger
This assay will be analysing on one of African president ever recognized as dedicated leader; who dedicated his entire life fighting for freedom of his nation. Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei in a small rural community in the easterner cape of South Africa. On 18july 1918 and named Nelson by one of his teachers, Mandela led the struggle to reinstate the apartheid rule of South Africa against racial discrimination. As well know as a democratic leader he was incarcerated for 27 years. Has been awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1993 and 1994 Nelson Mandela been voted as South Africa first black president. (BBC news-Mandela’s life and times2008)
Born on July 18, 1918, Nelson Mandela grew up like many other children in his tribe. He was born in Mvezo, South Africa and had no shoes till he was sixteen. “On the first day of classes I sported my new boots. I had never worn boots before of any kind” (“Nelson Mandela”). When Mandela wore his new boots to class, his class mates were amused because of the way he walked in them. A few students actually stood up and embarrassed him in the presence of the class. “The country boy is not used to wearing shoes” (“Nelson Mandela”). Although he was embarrassed, he moved on, lived his life and went to Fort Hare University, but because of tradition his Chief stopped his studies and prepared an arranged marriage. Mandela was not interested in the girl his chief chose, so he decided to avoid the marriage. “But he was no Democrat and did not think worthwhile to consult me about a wife. He selected a girl, fat and dignified” (“Nelson Mandela”).
" calm, patient determination to reclaim this country as your own, and now the joy that we can loudly proclaim from the rooftops--Free at last! Free at last! ... This is a time to heal the old wounds and build a new South Africa." Nelson Mandela fought his entire life. Nelson Mandela fought a fight for civil rights in South Africa on the streets and behind the prison walls. Even after 27 years behind those walls Mandela maintained his dignity and rose to be the first Black President of South Africa.
Mandela said in his autobiography, "I had no epiphany, no single revelation, no moment of truth, but a steady accumulation of a thousand slights, a thousand indignities, a thousand unremembered moments, produced in me an anger, a rebelliousness, a desire to fight the system that imprisoned my people. There was no particular day on which I said, ‘From henceforth I will devote myself to the liberation of my people’; instead, I simply found myself doing so, and could not do otherwise (Quote)." Just as he indicated, there was no one turning point in Mandela’s life, but rather many small things that led to his playing a part in the anti-apartheid movement.
Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest ethical and political leaders in recent history. Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to the fight against the racial oppression of the apartheid regime in South Africa. In doing so, he became the first democratically chosen black president of South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s life is a blue print for the development of a leader who fought against discrimination and aimed to build fairness and justice, and by doing so, acquired the ultimate achievement: equality for South Africa.
“To deny people their right to human rights is to challenge their very humanity. To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is to dehumanize them. But such has been the terrible fate of all black persons in our country under the system of apartheid (“In Nelson Mandela’s own words”). Nelson Mandela was a moral compass symbolizing the struggle against racial oppression. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison after twenty-seven years to lead his country to justice. For twenty-seven years he sat in a cell because he believed in a country without apartheid, a country with freedom and human rights. He fought for a country where all people were equal, treated with respect and given equal opportunity. Nelson Mandela looms large in the actions of activists and politicians. He inspired music and movies, and swayed the mind of powerful leaders. Making him an influential person who affected American culture.
Nelson Mandela in his book, Long Walk to Freedom argues through the first five parts that a black individual must deal, coop, and grow through a society that is hindering their lives' with apartheid and suppression of their rightful land. Rolihlanla Mphakanyiswa or clan name, Madiba was born on July 18, 1918 in a simple village of Mvezo, which was not accustomed to the happenings of South Africa as a whole. His father was an respected man who led a good life, but lost it because of a dispute with the magistrate. While, his mother was a hard-working woman full of daily choirs. His childhood was full of playing games with fellow children and having fun. In school, Mandela was given his English name of Nelson. After his father's death, he moved to love with a regent, who was a well-off individual and owed Nelson's father for a previous favor. The next several years were full of schooling for Nelson. These schools opened Nelson's eyes to many things, which we will discuss later. He and the regent's son, Justice decided to travel to Johannesburg and see what work they could find. They left on their journey without the regent's permission, but eventually escaped his power and settled down in the town. In Johannesburg, Nelson settled down in a law firm as an assistant and went to University of South Africa and Witwatersrand University to further his law education. Witswatersrand University brought many new ideas to Nelson and awakened a spirit inside of him.