In order to achieve freedom, equality, and social justice, how much is a person willing to sacrifice? During the early 1900s, Britain colonized four colonies in Africa. Through a slow process between 1902 and 1910, the four colonies became a unified union. By May 1910, Britain passed the South Africa Act and the four colonies became one independent colony. It was formally named the Union of South Africa. While white South Africans rejoiced, black South Africans did not see hope in their future. Although black South Africans made up two-thirds of the population, the South African Parliament was controlled by extremist Afrikaners – people who favored white supremacy. Race and skin color determined one’s fate and destiny. White people were …show more content…
However, they were wrong. As Mandela stated in his speech, he fought against white domination, but also against black domination. He does not believe in one race dominating another race. Mandela wanted to inform all white South Africans that they should not be afraid of reformation, because reformation does not equal to black domination. Giving blacks the opportunity to vote does not mean limiting the rights of whites, but giving equal rights to blacks.
Before he ended his 176 minute long speech, through the addition of pathos and Mandela’s tone of voice, the audience could sense Mandela’s superb determination in ending apartheid, ending racial injustice, and uniting the country as a whole. Speaking loud and clear, Mandela states:
I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die for. (147)
Mandela’s emotional ending of the speech became a release for him. After years of suffering, Mandela wants to inform his audience that he is not afraid of death. If necessary, he is willing to die for a democratic and free society. His great determination draws his audience and deeply touches all citizens of South Africa.
Mandela’s life is like a roller coaster ride – many ups and downs. The many events that occurred during his lifetime may
As a result of racial segregation in both the United States and South Africa, the coloured people’s resistance escalated. In truth, this time of division strengthened nationalism – their weapon that “[transformed their] common suffering into hope for the future” (Mandela, Notes to the Future 2012, 84). Moreover, the American Jim Crow Laws and South African apartheid led to discrimination, activism, reform and most importantly reconciliation.
The use of repetition of phrases in order to give more meaning to what is being said is used throughout the inauguration speech of Nelson Mandela as well. By way of illustration, Nelson Mandela concludes his address with the phrases, ‘Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all…’ Not only does such a concise list of ultimatums show his efficiency as a leader, but it also exhibits his linguistic brilliance and ability to end a speech both effectually and eloquently.
As a result of racial segregation, resistance from coloured people in both the United States and South Africa escalated. Furthermore, the history of the African civil rights movement validated: “Nationalism has been tested in the people’s struggles . . . and [proved to be] the only antidote against foreign rule and modern imperialism” (Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom 2008, 156) . By comparing and contrasting the American Jim Crow Laws and South African apartheid, we have evidence that both nations’ constitutions led to discrimination, activism, reform and reconciliation.
The story depicted by the movie Invictus is just a glimpse at the many hearts that he touched through his transformational leadership approach proved to be a success in the accomplishment of his end goal of equal diversity amongst the citizens of South Africa. Mandela experienced a great amount of satisfaction from his role in changing the government’s environment and finding peace for
The leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, Nelson Mandela, in his “Rally Address Following Release From Pollsmoor Prison” speech, he speaks of continuing his movement. Mandela directed his speech to the people of South America. His purpose was to motivate his people. Mandela creates a passionate tone in order to appeal to pathos through the use of the tone passionate, repetition, and anaphora.
In Nelson Mandela 1993 Nobel Peace Prize speech, Mandela tells about the cruel things that South Africans go through because of apartheid and why he is celebrating the end of it. Throughout his speech Mandela goes over the topic that apartheid is a real thing and African Americans are being treated unfairly and unequal for no reason.It is very clear that Mandela focuses on spreading awareness about ending the segregation that is going on in South Africa. He expresses why he and many other South Africans feel that apartheid needs to be ended and what the efforts were of him and others to end it. Mandela notes that he stands as a representative of the millions of people who feel the way that he does, this shows how strong people feel towards
Specific Purpose: To inform my communication studies 192 with a general understanding of the life and outstanding impact that Nelson Mandela has left on the world.
The life story of Nelson Mandela has long become a legend, a story that transcends race, borders, culture, or language. He is one of the greatest leaders to ever step foot on this Earth. He was willing to give up his own personal freedoms for the good of his people. Still, his decisions at major points in his lifetime hold lessons for individuals who are inspired of becoming good leaders. Many leaders are inspired by the actions and decision-makings abilities of Mandela. He kept the interest of others before his own. This is what made Nelson Mandela a great leader, and worthy of winning a Nobel Prize. From the decisions he made, and his life experiences while fighting for human rights, one can conclude that Mandela is truly
Later in his speech he enhances his already established authority in the movement, by mentioning that, due to his involvement in organizing strike with fellow Africans, he “consequently… had to leave” his “home and family…and go into hiding to avoid arrest” (paragraph 13). This resulted from the unjust laws established by the current white-dominated South African government to halt black progression. This aided in highlighting the importance of the movement in his life, he is so faithful that he would leave his family to reach the objectives of the ANC and its supporters. Qualities like this established him distant from just any other social movement leader. Another way Mandela employs ethos is by using the credibility of others.
His passion was heard through his assertive tone which helped to affirm his purpose to blacks and whites alike. Throughout his speech Nelson Mandela offered other examples such as family situations to provide a pathos appeal and adhere to the emotions of his listeners.
With all these hardships Nelson Mandela’s plans were constantly pushed back farther and farther but he never let this stop him.
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.
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, a leader within the South African society but furthermore throughout the whole world, has spent his whole life pursuing fairness and freedom for all. The composed philosophical quote presented within this assignment being, “Our single most important challenge is to establish a social order in which the freedom of the individual will truly mean the freedom of the individual.” appears to show a very calm and collected thought process. This quotation has an extreme importance in the pursuit of true freedom, demanding not only rights, but true freedom to where the people can experience life in an equal social order. Mandela’s calmness throughout the people’s and his struggle for freedom in South Africa attributed towards the success eventually reached by Mandela, by not only giving the depiction of a calm knowledgeable leader, but also giving the opportunity to truly reflect on political unrest and make a decision that will in the end benefit everyone within the situation, weather they are classified as black or white.
I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites.” (Nelson Mandela). This exemplified his true defiance of apartheid, that he was willing to corrupt his values to achieve a goal. Nelson Mandela did not follow the status quo by any means during these years of his life.