Nelson Mandela Courage

I am More Than my Scars

“Courage [is] not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it” (Nelson Mandela). Nelson Mandela was president of South Africa and fought to end apartheid for his people. Unfair child labor practices drove Mother Jones to work to enact laws that prevented the abuse of children in the mills. And Malala Yousafzai has created a movement to support girls’ education rights. Despite the fear and resistance they faced, these three individuals worked tirelessly for their causes. Mandela, Mother Jones, and Malala all had to persevere and overcome obstacles to enact change and achieve the human rights they promoted.

Nelson Mandela, as the committed president of South Africa, worked diligently to abolish apartheid, thereby making

Mandela dedicated his life to the ideas he vowed to defend, despite significant challenges such as a long prison term, “Mandela was jailed for his political activities, and after a widely publicized trial, was sentenced to life in prison. . .. Over the years, Mandela became the world’s best-known political prisoner, gaining international support for his fight against apartheid" (Nelson Mandela introduction). Showing great courage, Mandela never lost hope while in prison. After being released from his 27-year prison term, he went on to gain the trust of his country, becoming the first black South African president. By taking a stand against apartheid, Mandela demonstrated his great leadership. As a leader, Mandela believed that everyone should be free, “It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed” (Mandela). Acting

All three of these great leaders fought for equal opportunity that leads to happiness and success for everyone. Each of them approached their fight in a different way, but they were all successful in their missions to enact change. Malala and Mandela both used their own experiences to speak out. Whereas Mother Jones took a different approach by taking the children directly to the White House to make an impact on the president and to draw national attention to the issue. The activists have shown courage in the fight for their causes and that has led them to make an extensive impact in the