Exploring the Life and Achievements of Nelson Mandela

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Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was, without question, the most important leader in South African history, and he has acted as a symbol for equal civil rights worldwide. In this paper, I will provide you with a short biography about Mandela’s life, his presidency, and explain the impact he had on his country, and why it matters today.

Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in the village of Mvezo in southern South Africa, to his father’s third out of four wives. (Aikman 70-71) The South Africa that Mandela was born into was prone by the rule known as apartheid, which was a powerful system of racial segregation that essentially denied Black and Colored people rights that applied to the White minority population.(The History of Apartheid in South Africa, Web)

Though he had twelve siblings, he was the first in his family to attend school, where his teacher gave him the English name ‘Nelson’. (Mandela 9) In his early adult years, he attended the University of Fort Hare in Alice where he became involved in the struggle against the apartheid practiced in South Africa. He was expe...

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