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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In conclusion, Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the freedom of his people with little regret for the personal sacrifices he made. Nelson Mandela was determined to bring a better life to the people of South Africa. Amazingly he was able to preserve, bring justice to his people and put the healing of his nation in front of any bitterness he might feel towards the people that had treated the majority of the South African community with disrespect and cruelty. He believed ALL people should be given and basic human rights and encouraged his country to heal, not to hate.
In conclusion, Mandela realized that there would be no easy way to freedom. Only as a cohesive unit were these goals possible to achieve. He strived for the reign of freedom, and he prospered. Nelson Mandela always stood firm in his loyalty to democracy, equality and education. Though he faced horrible terrible fates, he has never responded racism with racists acts. His life is an inspiration to the oppressed and those who share (d) his vision.
Nelson Mandela was South African anti- apartheid revolutionary, originally known as the Boycott Movement, was a British organization that was at the Centre of the international movement opposing South Africa’s system of apartheid and supporting South Africa’s non-whites, English. Coming into office Mandela faced daunting challenges with regards to the disparity in wealth and serves between the white and black communities. Of a population of 40 million. Twenty-three million lacked electricity or adequate sanitation, twelve million lacked clean water supplies, two million children were not in school, thirteen million people were illiterate, thirty-three percent were unemployed, and twenty million lived below the poverty line.
To understand Mandela’s role in civil disobedience, one must first have the knowledge of his personal life. Mandela was born in the town of Transkei, South Africa into a royal family on July 18,1918 (Klerk). Even though Mandela was born into a royal family, he still noticed the ugly treatment of people in South Africa based on their racial background. Mr. Mandela was educated at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand. Both of these universities are located in South Africa, though Fort Ware is in Eastern Cape while Witwatersrand is located in the capital (Klerk, F). While a student in college Mandela was sent home for protesting against the strict policies of the university with several other classmates. Like many col...
Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary that stood up against the apartheid, or racist, government. Mandela played the biggest role in the movement to overthrow the South African government. He led many protests and was thrown in prison for trying to overthrow the office. After all of Mandela’s hard work, he successfully overthrew the apartheid government and turned it around into a good, democratic government. Mandela later became South Africa’s first president in elections which all people could vote. Nelson Mandela had a great effect on his country as he took a stand and tried to overthrow the apartheid government and turn it into a democratic, non-racist country.
One reason Nelson Mandela is a hero is because he freed South Africa from apartheid. South Africa was a segregated country back ten, which made it unfair to black people, so Mandela stepped in to try and stop it. He joined an anti-apartheid organization to fight back to the South African government for their rights. He also became the leader of the organization he joined and became a huge part of freeing South Africa from apartheid.
Mandela escaped north to Johannesburg and then fled to Alexandra, where he met Walter Sisulu. He involved Mandela in politics. Sisulu introduced him to the African National Congress (ANC). Soon after that, Mandela was appointed volunteer-in-chief for a resistance campaign in 1952. Mandela began to quarrel for the black rights as the days went by. He became invol...
In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was a prominent leader of South Africa who had made many changes for the Africans as a whole of South Africa. Mandela did what he had to for the humanity of people no matter the outcome of the thorough situations and circumstances he was put in. Mandela never let what was meant to be his downfall change his mind set or his push and his motivation to what his bigger picture and his bigger
Activist, lawyer, father, prisoner, survivor, president, the face of equality. Nelson Mandela has an inspiring story of fighting Apartheid forces and surviving a long prison sentence all in the name of freedom and equal rights. Through Nelson Mandela’s constant fight for freedom of the African people from white apartheid forces, he was dominated by the corrupt government. After uprising numerous riots against apartheid forces, Mandela was sent to jail for twenty-seven years revealing the cruelty that humans can possess. With the strong will power and complete support of the African people, Mandela survived his prison sentence and became the first democratically elected president of South Africa exposing the strength in human nature by showing that humans can persevere through tough times. Mandela left a profound impact on the African people by saving them from corrupt Apartheid rule and bringing a democratic government. Thus teaching the world that in an event where a body of people is suppressed, they will inevitably rebel by any means necessary to gain their freedom.
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.
Nelson Mandela in his book, Long Walk to Freedom argues through the first five parts that a black individual must deal, coop, and grow through a society that is hindering their lives' with apartheid and suppression of their rightful land. Rolihlanla Mphakanyiswa or clan name, Madiba was born on July 18, 1918 in a simple village of Mvezo, which was not accustomed to the happenings of South Africa as a whole. His father was an respected man who led a good life, but lost it because of a dispute with the magistrate. While, his mother was a hard-working woman full of daily choirs. His childhood was full of playing games with fellow children and having fun. In school, Mandela was given his English name of Nelson. After his father's death, he moved to love with a regent, who was a well-off individual and owed Nelson's father for a previous favor. The next several years were full of schooling for Nelson. These schools opened Nelson's eyes to many things, which we will discuss later. He and the regent's son, Justice decided to travel to Johannesburg and see what work they could find. They left on their journey without the regent's permission, but eventually escaped his power and settled down in the town. In Johannesburg, Nelson settled down in a law firm as an assistant and went to University of South Africa and Witwatersrand University to further his law education. Witswatersrand University brought many new ideas to Nelson and awakened a spirit inside of him.
“To deny people their right to human rights is to challenge their very humanity. To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is to dehumanize them. But such has been the terrible fate of all black persons in our country under the system of apartheid (“In Nelson Mandela’s own words”). Nelson Mandela was a moral compass symbolizing the struggle against racial oppression. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison after twenty-seven years to lead his country to justice. For twenty-seven years he sat in a cell because he believed in a country without apartheid, a country with freedom and human rights. He fought for a country where all people were equal, treated with respect and given equal opportunity. Nelson Mandela looms large in the actions of activists and politicians. He inspired music and movies, and swayed the mind of powerful leaders. Making him an influential person who affected American culture.
“Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people,” said Nelson Mandela, a real life, modern day hero who spent twenty-seven years in prison after attempting to overthrow the pro-apartheid government of South Africa then later becoming the first black president of the country. Heroes do what they believe is right even if it causes them great personal suffering. Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird and Alan Gratz in Prisoner B-3087 portray fictional heroes who embrace ideas similar to those advocated by Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela is one of the greatest ethical and political leaders in recent history. Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to the fight against the racial oppression of the apartheid regime in South Africa. In doing so, he became the first democratically chosen black president of South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s life is a blue print for the development of a leader who fought against discrimination and aimed to build fairness and justice, and by doing so, acquired the ultimate achievement: equality for South Africa.
Was Nelson Mandela considered a hero to South Africa? He displays his heroic characteristics as being very wise, a brave leader and highly respected and loved nationally. People think of Nelson Mandela as the South African version of Martin Luther King Jr. This is correct. He is known for bringing peace to South Africa, which was racially segregated and believed in participating in human rights globally. No one was ever as brave and confident as Nelson Mandela was. It is not easy changing a world for the better without the chaos and difficulties, but Mr. Mandela did it because of his strong belief in his country, which was a slowly degrading country at the time.