Mandel A Symbol For Justice, Equality, And Dignity

In the 1930’s it was rare for a black South African to attend college. But Mandela not only attended, he graduated, got a degree from law school, and set up a practice in Johannesburg which he hoped could support his small family. Yet apartheid was always a humiliation to him. When the Afrikaner, or Dutch South African, Nationalists came to power in the 1948 election, the segregation habits of the past three hundred years became law. Hoping for a brighter future, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and became its first Youth Leader.

Thesis: Actions, beliefs, and patience are characteristics that are comparable in both the lives of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.

Twenty-seven years in prison could not shake his resolve to transform laws in South Africa. Innocent people shot down in front of him did not scare him away. After his death, NBC News reports that “…Mandela was a figure of enormous moral influence—a symbol of revolution, resistance, and triumph over racial segregation” (Connor). Similarly, Harper Lee shows us in To Kill a Mockingbird that one person standing alone has the power to influence the minds of people and challenge them to make sensible decisions. There will be many obstacles to overcome but one person can change society’s actions by taking courage to stand up for what’s right and urge other people to view situations differently.

“Nelson Mandela is a man of destiny” -F.W. De Klerk (140). How did a man who spent 27 years in prison change the hearts and minds of people who called him “terrorist in chief?” Is it possible for one man’s determination and careful planning change the direction of a country so set on the norm? John Carlin tells the story of Nelson Mandela through the eyes of people close to him as well as through the eyes of his enemies. Both friends and enemies portray just his presence as overwhelming. Invictus tells the story of how Mandela used his overwhelming presence to unite a country through the sport of rugby. The story begins on the morning of the 1995 Rugby World Cup championship game. The rest of the book details how he got to that

Throughout his life he suffered discrimination in all aspects. Mandela went to prison in his 30s while battling against apartheid, even in prison he would use every chance he got to speak against the injustice of white domination. As stated in text two, “I have dedicated myself to the struggle of of the African people.” Mandela spent his whole life fighting against discrimination, until 1994 when he became the president of South Africa, and pledged to build “a complete, just, and lasting peace.” “It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.

There comes a time, in most citizens’ lives when they must stand against their government to produce change. Change can only be acquired if people take the necessary actions for it to take place. Nelson Mandela was a historical revolutionist who helped his people in Africa, to revolt against the government, in order to bring about change. As a result, he was sentenced to prison for 27 years for trying to overthrow the government. Many revolutionist, such as Arundhati Roy and Martin Luther King Jr., explain in their essays how the role of the citizen is to stand against injustice, and how the government labels them as anti-national because of it.

Mandela has been influenced by Gandhi all along his life. Gandhi, who was peaceful protestor against oppression led the Indian campaign in 1913. By this campaign, Mandela understood that to be successful in the freedom struggle, it was necessary to make sacrifices, and to suffer for the cause. Gandhi’s passive resistance inspired Mandela a lot and for the first years of his political career, he promoted non violent actions. These actions were therefore illegals, and like Gandhi, he was courageous and accepted the fact that those actions may led him to prison, like in Gandhi's case. However, when Mandela noticed that the passive resistance wasn’t effective, he decided to act in consequence, and to play by the government rules (use violence).

Imagine being systematically oppressed from the moment you exited the womb. All your civil rights, based on the amount of melanin in your skin. Drinking from the wrong water fountain, could even get you thrown into jail. Coincidently; this was the life, of black South Africans from the moment of Dutch colonization in 1652, to the first true democratic election in 1994. Apartheid, meaning “separateness” in Afrikaans; was legal segregation enforced by The National Party (NP) from 1948 to 1994. It legally imposed preexisting policies of racial discrimination on the Majority of the South African population. The entire basis of the racist policies, was the darker your complexion the less legal rights you had. Presumably this injustice, could have continued much longer if it weren’t for all involved in the fight against the NP, however the man who arguably contributed the most, was Nelson Mandela. He ended an apartheid, with both his philanthropy and political prowess. He united a nation that used to be segregated; which seemed a daunting task at the time, but through the sweat and bloodshed he achieved the impossible. This alone exhibited his heroic characteristics, but to be more precise: both his actions and inactions lead to his success. Furthermore, Mandela was both a strong leader and forgiving at the same-time. Being in the forefront of the abolishment movement, was an extremely risky move during the apartheid. He risked his life for what he believed in, and this personal

Nelson Mandela was the South African president from 1994 to 1999 fighting against the apartheid. The apartheid was a system of discrimination or segregation on grounds of race. This is like the discrimination or certain cat types and how some get treated unfairly based on looks. The apartheid gave the minority a hard time. Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, the prime minister from 1958-1959, would polish the apartheid policy into a system he called separate development. Minority groups of blacks, were separated into Bantu’s, a place with self-government. This worked

This publication goes into great detail about Mandela’s school years. Mandela was the first in his family to attend school, and was actually given the opportunity to go to school because his father was a respected African chief. While in school, he was taught various subjects, but was really stricken by his history class because he was taught about the days where African people lived in peace, before the white people arrived. This particular piece of information was worth mentioning in the paper because the education Mandela received in history class about the peaceful days would later inspire him to fight for an independent South Africa. This publication later mentions the African National Congress, and the African National Congress Youth

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others”, said Nelson Mandela. Mandela, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and prisoner who served as a president portrays the importance of treating others equally. He is a hero and peacemaker who fought for freedom at the stake of his life. Mandela was a living example to people all over the world. His courage to fight for the oppressed and his forgiveness towards those who spat and tortured him physically, mentally and psychologically is what made him an iconic figure. It is so easy to give advice of forgiveness to the oppressed, but it is extremely hard to follow the same advice for the adviser. But, Mandela forgave his enemies who imprisoned him for twenty years. Besides, he was separated from his family and spend his youth years in prison. A lot was taken from him, but he came out of prison with grace and forgiveness. If so, who were Mandela and his mentors? How did he become that man?

One large problem that occurred because of apartheid and was the cause of many protests was from 1961-1994, 3.5 million colored people and their families were forced out of their homes while their property was sold for very low prices to white farmers. This was just one example of events that were completely unfair to the colored population. Nelson Mandela was the person who stopped these acts from happening. In 1994, Mandela became the country’s first colored president. Instead of trying to make the people who put him into jail for 27 years suffer in consequences, he embraced them and used peace to unite everyone as equals, and not oppressing the people who had oppressed him for most of his life. Apartheid was a very rough time for anyone who lived in South Africa before Nelson Mandela and his peace helped to stop it.

Nelson Mandela was the man who abolished Apartheid, freeing South Africa from the binds of racial segregation forever. However, it was not an easy road and Mandela needed patience, strength of character, focus, passion, understanding, perseverance, and most importantly, forgiveness, to achieve this. For more than forty years, black South Africans were subject to the harsh racial segregation of the Apartheid system; despite making up over 70% of South Africa’s population, they had little to no rights.

Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist, who served as the first black President of South Africa is an example of someone who was dedicated to their lifetime defending and protecting civic duties for his people. While I think of myself as a leader and historian just like Nelson Mandela I haven’t traversed the scope, depth and and sacrifice of his experience. Mandela is an example of an individual who embodies the theory of social commitment.

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