Nelson Mandela, An Unexpected Hero

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Nelson Mandela, An Unexpected Hero

When most people think of South Africa, the first name that comes to mind is Nelson Mandela. Born in 1918, during a time when white men held most of the power, there was a system of segregation against ‘colored people’ called apartheid. Throughout his life, Mandela worked to fight against this segregation and endured extreme human rights violations. Nelson Mandela is a hero because his efforts were a contributing factor in bringing an end to apartheid and he influenced major changes within the county of South Africa.

Nelson Mandela spent the majority of his young life fighting to end the system of apartheid. He traveled throughout to gain support and organize nonviolent protests against apartheid. At the age of 34, he toured the country encouraging people to take part in civil disobedience. Mandela helped lead the African National Congress across South Africa to organize peaceful protests against discriminatory policies (“Mandela, Nelson”). He illegally left South Africa in 1962 to gain more support for the anti-apartheid movement. Mandela went to Ethiopia to attend a conference of African nationalist leaders. He also went England to ask for armed support and to Algeria to undergo guerilla training (“Nelson Mandela”). Ultimately, Mr. Mandela, was arrested in South Africa for illegally leaving the country. He became one of South Africa’s most wanted men for threatening the system of apartheid.

Nelson Mandela is a hero because he accepted the consequences of fighting for his beliefs and refusing to give in. After Mandela returned from abroad, he was arrested for leaving the country illegally. Mandela conducted his own defense and expressed his views on racism and apartheid in Sou...

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