Nelson Mandela Research Paper

First in his family to obtain an education, Nelson Mandela took interest in law and political issues and affairs where he was primarily introduced to the campaign against racial discrimination. He later became a powerful member in the African National Congress and helped blacks and other minority groups to receive basic human rights. Nelson Mandela soon became the leader of a racial activist group known as uMkhonto we Sizwe, abbreviated as MK. He pushed boundaries to gain more rights for non-whites in South Africa. During the summer of 1962, Mandela was arrested for five years for traveling illegally outside of his country in a plan to undermine the government and later was given a life sentence for treason. In 1990, after being treated inhumane

Mandela did not have a relatively difficult childhood and his family was not necessarily poor compared to a large portion of the minority population. When his father eventually passed away after a fight with tuberculosis in 1928, Nelson was later sent to a boarding school where he was taught thoroughly about the Christian religion. While he did come back to the tribe to partake in certain ceremonies and traditions used to mark his path to becoming an adult man, it was not until 1934 did Mandela return to his home village to announce that he did not have plans to be the next chief of his tribe. A few years later he went to the first black university in South Africa, Fort Hare University, to study to begin a career in politics and law. Mandela was later expelled from the college along with his friend for being apart of a protest held by students at the school. From there, he continued his education at Witwatersrand University where he primarily focused on law. Mandela earned his law degree in 1942, and a couple years later, he started the African National Congress Youth League (ANC Youth League). In this group, Nelson, along with his fellow ANC members, urged the other organization that was working for African rights that consisted of older citizens to become more active in the movement against discrimination and