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Peter Tosh and Nelson Mandela Fighting from Opposite Corners

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Peter Tosh and Nelson Mandela Fighting from Opposite Corners

The Prize: Equal Rights

Peter Tosh and Nelson Mandela are two men who dedicated their lives to fight for equal rights. They are united by common goals but walked on different paths in their struggles against the oppressors. The major commonality, which made both men brilliant leaders and revolutionary thinkers, was their passion. The passion they had for their beliefs and turning their visions into reality.

Tosh and Mandela’s divergent approaches started during their youth and followed both individuals through a lifetime struggle. Peter Tosh was born on October 9, 1944 in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Born with the name Winston Huburt McIntosh, curtsey of his absent churchgoing preacher father James McIntosh and mothered by Alvera Coke, Tosh found himself alone in the world. Peter faced the hardships of Jamaican country life including lack of supervision and a poor economic standing. Immediately challenged as a child, he was watched by his aunt but claimed that he raised himself. Peter always took responsibility for his actions and never relied on others for help. Self-reliance was the strongest characteristic trait gained during this period. The separation from his parents deeply rooted his need for finding peace in this world. "I was born raised in righteousness, not to say that my parents was righteous, because they did not know righteousness. They were being led away to a shitstem, or being deceived by deceivers, you see, because they wanted to know what was righteousness" (Holmes and Steffens, Reasoning with Tosh). Tosh negatively associated his parents with all that is bad in society and that which one must never become. He chose at a young age to live his life ...

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...Piersons, Leroy Jodie and Steffens, Roger. Discography/Track Notes: Peter Tosh — Honorary Citizen. Honorary Citizen Box Set. Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 1997.

15) Steffens, Roger. "The Peter Tosh Biography." Honorary Citizen Box Set. Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 1997.

16) Stepping Razor Red X, The Peter Tosh Story. Nicholas Cambpell, 1992, Northern Art Entertainment. Inc.

17) Tosh, Peter. "Peter Tosh: Honorary Citizen". Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 1997.

18) Tosh, Peter. "Peter Tosh at Sunsplash 1980" The Beat Magazine, 1989.

19) Tosh, Peter. "Herb" High Times Magazine, September 1976.

20) Unknown Reporter. The Weekend Star, Friday, July 4. 1980

21) Walker, John. "Tough Tosh." Trouser Press Interview, 1983.

22) White, Timothy. "In the Path of the Steppin’ Razor." Web: www.boomshaka.com/tosh/razor.html

23) www.anc.org, Mandela Notes
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