Mandela's Unrecognized Struggle Against Apartheid

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Nelson Mandela and Taking on Apartheid
Nelson Mandela was one of the most beloved and inspiring men in the world. He led a long and interesting life, and for much of it he was wrongly imprisoned. He fought endlessly for the rights of his people, and his journey is actually very similar to another civil rights activist from the United States: Martin Luther King Jr. However, while Martin Luther King Jr. is very well known, Mandela doesn’t get quite as much recognition, especially in the United States. This essay puts forward the notion that, as Nelson Mandela was one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, he deserves the same level of recognition that Martin Luther King Jr. gets. This essay will explore his early life, imprisonment, …show more content…

When discussing Nelson Mandela, it is important to start with his early life, as this period of his life was instrumental in forming his personal ideals. He was born on July 18th, 1918, into the Thembu tribe in South Africa. Within the tribe, and the city Mveso, his family was essentially royalty, and his father served as chief. His mother was his father’s third wife, and had thirteen children total. Mandela was born with the name Rolihlahla, and after his father died, he was adopted at the age of nine by a high-ranking regent of Thembu named Jongintaba Dalindyebo. (“Nelson Mandela”). Eventually, Mandela would become well-known in South Africa by his clan name: Madiba. (Jason Straziuso). This name was considered a sign of respect, and shows how loved Mandela was, even early on. According to History.com: “The first in his family to receive a formal education, Mandela completed his primary studies at a local missionary school. There, a teacher dubbed him Nelson as part of a common practice of …show more content…

One of the most well-known incidents – and the bloodiest – was in 1960, when police opened fire on 7000 protestors, killing nearly 70 of them. It was because of this horrific action that Mandela and the other ANC leaders decided to create an armed portion of their organization, much like other revolutionary movements against colonialism in Africa. (“Nelson Mandela & the Fight Against Apartheid”). On this change from the organizations original policies, Mandela said: “It would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and nonviolence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle.” (“Nelson Mandela”). This is one of the contrasts one can make between Mandela and Martin Luther King. King refused to participate in violent protests, and instead insisted on peaceful ones. In contrast, Mandela, after seeing the government react with violence, chose to also fight back with violence. (Jason

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