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Nelson Mandela Essay

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As Nelson Mandela said, “Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.” A champion of civil rights, a voice for the oppressed, and a strong anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela is one of the most revered and recognizable names from recent years. He dedicated his entire life to serving others, both in his personal and political life. There were social, economic, and cultural influences on Nelson Mandela which affected his lifetime achievements.
Nelson Mandela, originally named Rolihlahla Mandela, was born in the South African village of Mvezo on July 18, 1918. Some might wonder how Nelson stemmed from Rolihlahla: “a teacher dubbed him Nelson as part of a …show more content…

He knew that peaceful protests weren’t going to achieve what they’d hope to accomplish. The government banned the ANC, and Nelson had evaded the government for seventeen months until he was captured and sentenced to life in prison.
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, apartheid is “racial segregation; specifically: a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa.” Apartheid was first introduced in 1948 after the National Party controlled most of the government. This system of segregation prevented the majority, Africans, from having the same rights and privileges as the minority, whites. Once this system was put in place, Mandela concentrated all of his efforts on eradicating apartheid, hence the participation in the ANC and the creation of the Spear of the Nation branch. Although unthinkable and atrocious, the implementation of apartheid allowed Mandela’s name to be known. Without it, he wouldn’t be the hero he is today.
Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for twenty-seven years; it was during this time that he wrote his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom which extensively explained his efforts to overthrow apartheid and the minority-ruling government. Once he was released in 1990, he immediately began to bargain with the Nationalist Party to officially end apartheid and have a multiracial

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