Nelson Mandela was born on July 18th, 1918 in Mvezo, Eastern Cape, South Africa. He is best known for his fight against apartheid and becoming the first black President of South Africa. Mandela was born into the Thembu people and was motivated to study law after experiencing the tribal democratic leadership. He joined the African National Congress in 1942 and participated in the organization of a many protests against apartheid. In 1952 “Mandela and Oliver Tambo started the first black law office in South Africa with the intent of fighting black injustice (Saunders, World Book 133)”. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and given a life sentence for charges for conspiring against the government. He was released in 1990 after serving 27 years. In 1993 he received the Nobel Peace Prize along with F. W. de Klerk for their contribution towards ending of apartheid and establishing multiracial elections. He was elected the first black President of South Africa in 1994. While in power he focused on fighting racism, inequality, and poverty in South Africa. Mandela retired his presidency in 1999 and made his last public appearance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. Nelson Mandela died December 5th, 2013 in Johannesburg. Throughout his early life, his imprisonment, and his presidency, Nelson Mandela always stood for change.
Nelson Mandela is among the most celebrated people to ever live. His struggles for liberation in South Africa have left a legendary legacy that inspires many people the world over. This implies that some experiences in the life of Mandela had a bearing into the person he later became. This paper will examine the experiences in the life of Mandela, as shown by his autobiography, long walk to freedom.
The Abolishment of Apartheid from South Africa
The oppression of the natives of South Africa has been occurring since the time of explorers and global expansion during the late 1480s. These colonizers, mostly the Dutch would come to set a very long and dark path for their ancestors; who are called Afrikaners. Over time, the natives would lose their land and resources to the white majority. The whites' domination over South Africa would conclude with apartheid (David Downing, 2004).
As Mandela grew more aware of the world, he begins to see the bigger picture. An entire country that belongs to his people, now denied from them, and his race looked down upon by British usurpers.This is what drove “a law abiding attorney” to become a man of rebellion. Filled with a hunger for freedom, and a need to right what has been wronged, simple obstacles like prison and persecution will not get in the way of this man's wish to be free. “When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both”. Nelson Mandela not only was able to see his people being oppressed, but he could see that the oppressor was not exactly free either. That a man who oppresses his fellow man is trapped in a prison of hatred, and that he, his people, and his oppressors, must be freed from this vicious cycle. This is what led him to become the President of the ANC (African National Congress), and an
Nelson Mandela Nobel Peace Prize Essay
Imagine being a black individual living in a South African society where whites thrived in numerous aspects of life while those who were colored were treated very poorly and inferior. This would have been the current situation in the country if it wasn’t for one individual who completely turned the entire nation from a place of inequality and injustice to a land of prosperity and hope. This person was able to suffer through racism, which included being wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 27 years, to ensure that his country would someday view everyone as equal regardless of their skin color.
I have always thought that Nelson Mandela has been one of the most important people in history. I find it very fascinating that one man could end the Apartheid and that is why I want to find out more about this. South Africa is a country with a past of enforced racism and separation of its multi-racial community. The White Europeans invaded South Africa and started a political system known as 'Apartheid' (meaning 'apartness'). This system severely restricted the rights and lifestyle of the non-White inhabitants of the country forcing them to live separately from the White Europeans. I have chosen to investigate how the Apartheid affected people’s lives, and also how and why the Apartheid system rose and fell in South Africa.
When Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was sent to a village far away from home, in another part of South Africa. While he was there, he saw many fellow Africans. Some poor, most powerless, all downtrodden. At that point, his mind was made up that he would work to protect them. When the government began to segregate sides because of skin color, Mandela spoke out and fought for his people, fighting hard to make his country a free and equal place.
“I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die” (biography). These words spoken by Nelson Mandela created an accurate depiction of who he was. The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 fought long and hard for equality in South Africa; he refused to give up after being imprisoned for 27 years. He created lots of positive change and he helped make South Africa a better place (Nelson Mandela). His actions and persistence have inspired many, and he proved that anything is possible with hard work, and that hard work will always pay off.
Nelson Mandela played an important role in the abolition of Apartheid. He helped start and lead some of the riots and protests that led to black rights, and he spent a long time in prison to pay for it. He inspired many people. As he said, quoting Marianne Williamson, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world… We are all meant to shine (Williamson).” Overall, he played a very important role in abolishing Apartheid in South Africa.
He quoted “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people” (Mandela, n.p.). Nelson Mandela wasted no time in prison; he earned his bachelor of law degree from the University of London Correspondence Program. When he was released in 1990, within a year, he was announced the president of the ANC forming a youth league also known as ANCYL-African National Congress Youth League. Also, as challenging as this was, Mandela tried making elections racially undivided and this was a nonsuccess. Anarchy broke out amongst the southern black Africans because they wanted all the power instead of sharing power with the whites, which is what the whites intended. Understanding Mandela, he wanted a peaceful movement and was elected president on May 10, 1994.