The Legacy of Nelson Mandela

Mandela was a very important leader in the struggle against apartheid. Like many other struggle leaders, he was thrown in jail more than once and spent 27 years of his life in jail. He became an important symbol for human rights and anti-apartheid campaigns all over the world. In 1990 he was finally released from jail, and he became an important leader in the talks with President F.W. de Klerk about a South Africa free from apartheid.

“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountain top of our desires”. These are the words of a man, Nelson Mandela, who fought for something that many would shy away from. He led the anti-apartheid movement, became the president of the African National Congress Youth League, and later became the president of South Africa winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Self-sacrifice — Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison on Robben Island, hammering rocks in the scorching sun during the day, only to return to a tiny eight-by-seven-foot concrete cell with only a straw mat to sleep on. Nelson was offered freedom in 1985 but refused, saying: “I cannot and will not give any undertaking, at a time when I and you, the people, are not free. Your freedom and mine cannot be separated!”

Former president John F. Kennedy once said, “The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.” That means that if we question one person’s rights, we’re questioning everyone’s rights. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were both great fighters for human rights. Both men fought for the people in their country that were being oppressed. In The Eulogy for Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela's autobiography, we see the differences these two leaders made, not only in the lives of their people, but in the lives of everyone who has been oppressed. The text about Nelson Mandela is more persuasive than the text about Mahatma Gandhi. The Mandela text talks about the hardship he went through and how he overcame them and still

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that responds and enhances the freedom of others” says Nelson Mandela. (cite) Mandela lived by these words and showed it in many ways. Nelson Mandela changed the world by ending apartheid, positively influencing others, and creating and supporting multiple charities. (add more information)

To this end, Mandela became the first global leader to use sport as a tool to unite individuals and reformulate a nations international image through the transformative power of sport. His words, actions, and leadership with respect to sport for developmental remain profoundly relevant today irrespective

The policy of apartheid created a deep and lasting wound in my country and my people…. My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than than the purest diamonds.”(Pg 61). Also, in paragraph 9 through 12, it states, “I was not born with a hunger to be free. I was born free - free in every way that I can know..... Later, as a young man in Johannesburg, I yearned for the basic and honorable freedoms of achieving my potential, of earning my keep, of marrying and having a family - the freedom not to be obstructed in a lawful life…. It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black.” (Pg 63). When Nelson was a boy, he saw he didn’t have to hunger for freedom, but as he got older, ended up hungering for his own and and others, not just black, white too. He believes in his people, he knows that the greatest wealth is its people, not the gems and minerals. He trusts his people, he also believes that if he takes away someone else's freedom, that means he is not free either, because he took away someone's freedom from them, so it's like taking away his

Have you ever been afraid to stand up for what you believe in because you are scared of what others will do or think? It takes a special person to stand up for what they believe in to make a change and to be an inspirational and heroic figure to the world. There are no super heroes to save everyone and to fight for what is right like there is in the movies. However, if you take a look around, there are ordinary people that have the ability to do extraordinary things. Nelson Mandela reflects what it means to live a heroic life in his background, his courage to stand up for what he believes in, his strength to still work to make a change with his hands tied behind his back, and his ability to bring his country together.

During the reign of the Apartheid regime Nelson Mandela was born and raised. Nelson Mandela was a South African lawyer and prominent activist. He was also the leader of the African National Congress party and the first black President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He is known for his devotion and struggle against the Apartheid regime.

Mandela had tried for years to get what he deserves. "Mr.Mandela was released from prison and talks on forming a new multi-racial democracy for South Africa began."(2) Life turned upside down for Nelson for 27 years (1964-1990) and he still fought for his beliefs. He even fought even without trying, his "fans" launched an international camp In this articles Nelson Mandela's life and times do it describe a heroic person. Nelson Mandela shows multiple traits of a hero. The first trait that came to my mind was brave. The next one that came to my mind were caring. The final personality that popped in my mind were selfless. Nelson Mandela has shown the tremendous amount of change to South

Just imagine if you had your land taken and you were herded into your own districts. You’re also told who you can and can’t marry based on your race. It is hard to imagine that happening in America in this day in age but this was a reality for blacks and other races in South Africa. The separation started with the 1913 land act and worsened in 1948 when the Afrikaner national party won office and started to enact even more apartheid laws. Nelson Mandela grew up in this time period and he fought against the regime and would later win a Noble Peace Prize for helping to end apartheids in South Africa. For Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC), the Sharpeville Massacre would be a significant turning point from non-violence to violence

On April 20th 1964 African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader Nelson Mandela gave his powerful, “I am Prepared to Die” speech. In this speech he describes the “lack of human dignity experienced by Africans.” He developed his thoughts by giving this example, “When anything has to be carried or cleaned the white man will look around for an African to do it for him; because of this sort of attitude, whites tend to regard Africans as a separate breed.” This quote helped explain the way blacks were treated and thought of by whites during that time. Mandela’s purpose was to achieve equality for blacks in all aspects of life.

Nelson Mandela, determined and exhausted, spent 27 years in prison before he became the first democratically elected president in South Africa. Before this, he was placed under house arrest on the grounds of a minimum-security correctional facility. Mandela didn’t surrender through these wearisome times. He accomplished many things, like winning a Nobel peace prize for his heroic actions, and was even described as “the father of the nation.” Mandela also started creating an all black law practice.

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 is a man who is widely known throughout the world. This man is considered a hero of South Africa and is a man who is also considered to be a man who helped change the world for the better. Life was difficult in the city of Mvezo, Transkei and on July 18, 1918 a hero was born. Nelson Mandela’s original name was Rolihlahla Mandela and he was born into the Madiba clan. All of Mandela’s family before him had never gone to school or received a proper education. At a young age his mother sent him to a Methodist school due to his family being of the Christian denomination. He was baptized as a Methodist and his teacher did the ritualistic custom, in most African churches, of being given an English name, which happened to be