Nelson Mandela and the South African Apartheid

Nelson Mandela, a man recognized worldwide, was a human rights activist leader among other things. He believed in equality and peace for all. He fought for that belief in South Africa for which he undeniably sacrificed his life to. A figure of international peacemaking, he’s a man of tremendous accomplishments. How he achieved these accomplishments is astounding and it’s what he’s remarkably known. Striving for fairness and democracy in a nation that has been pierced for years by Apartheid seemed impossible for blacks. Mr. Mandela however, was the exception to that perception. His immense contribution to South Africa and his people ultimately resulted in the greatest legacy of South African history. Despite the turmoil and resistance he was facing he still came out victorious becoming the first black president of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999. Nelson Mandela whose birth name translated as “troublemaker” certainly did not fit a man whose dream and goal was to promote peace among all men, which he vowed never to give up on, even when he was faced with extreme adversity.

Early Life

Nelson Mandela was born Rolihlahla Mandela at Mvezo in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. He is the son of Nonqaphi Nosekeni and Henry Mgadla Mandela. His father was a chief and a counselor to the high chief of the Thembu and a member of the Madiba clan. In Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, he mentions that his name, given to him by his father, “"Rolihlahla" in the Xhosa language literally means "pulling the branch of a tree," but more commonly translates as "troublemaker."” According to the Merriam Webster dictionary a troublemaker is one that habitually causes difficulty or problems, especially by inci...

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... arrest he founded the law firm Mandela and Tambo after partnering with Oliver Tambo, a bright student he'd met while attending Fort Hare. The Law firm provided free and low-cost legal counsel to unrepresented blacks. Managing a firm and taking care of matters at ANC was too much to take on. In 1959, the movement had lost much of its militant support. Though the ANC weakened Mandela remained optimistic. He didn’t give up rather he felt,

Works Cited

1. Landis, Elizabeth. “South African Apartheid Legislation,” The Yale Law Journal 71, no. 1 (1961): 1-52. Accessed May 16, 2014. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/stable/pdfplus/794210.pdf?acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true

2. Mandela, Nelson. In His Own Words. New York and London: Little Brown and Company, 2003.

3. Mandela, Nelson. LONG WALK to FREEDOM. New York and London: Little Brown and Company, 1995.