The Struggles and Leadership of Nelson Mandela

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.

Here on the tip of Africa two great oceans meet, warm weather is here most of the year, and many animals and diverse lands lay beyond the city lights. We are the leader of African economies, our economy is the most advanced and well developed economy on the continent. Our infrastructure also matches that of any first world country.

Nelson Mandela a name you have probably heard before a man who has accomplished so many great things with his life. He was left with many obstacles and he was able to overcome them all to accomplish great things and help many people along the way. Nelson Mandela had a lot of stuff happen to him during his life such as being imprisoned, was able to do great things as president, and was able to win a Nobel Peace prize.

“To deny people their right to human rights is to challenge their very humanity. To impose on them a wretched life of hunger and deprivation is to dehumanize them. But such has been the terrible fate of all black persons in our country under the system of apartheid (“In Nelson Mandela’s own words”). Nelson Mandela was a moral compass symbolizing the struggle against racial oppression. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison after twenty-seven years to lead his country to justice. For twenty-seven years he sat in a cell because he believed in a country without apartheid, a country with freedom and human rights. He fought for a country where all people were equal, treated with respect and given equal opportunity. Nelson Mandela looms large in the

Born to the world on July 18, 1918. Mandela's father Henry was a chief of the Tembu people. His mother was Nosekeni Fanny. When Nelson was around 9 years old his father died of tuberculosis. He was looked after by Jongintaba Dalindyebo, who was acting chief of Tembu

A key person that was involved in civil disobedience was Nelson Mandela. Nelson did not believe in violence because he thought that nonviolence could mean more and be more powerful. For example, Mandela led the Youth League of ANC with peaceful protests. Due to protesting, he was arrested multiplied times. He was an important activist in civil disobedience.

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.

Apartheid is “a former policy of segregation and political and economic discrimination against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa” (Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, n.d.). When you hear the word apartheid, you automatically think of Nelson Mandela, the most influential man in the fight for human rights for black South Africans. Mr. Mandela was a Visionary and Ethical Leader. His actions, decisions and behaviors lead to the end of apartheid and the creation of a democratic government in South Africa.

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).

Throughout the years you may have heard of many influential black people who have either changed the past or have influenced an event that lead to a change. Many people including Rosa parks, a civil rights activist, Martin Luther king, the leader of the civil rights movement, and many more are are valid people who have influenced many people lives however in my opinion I think Nelson Mandela have been the top out of all these influential people to have changed millions of lives not only in the country he lived but the world itself. Many people may have know Nelson Mandela from the teachings of Global history classes well here will be a little insight of who, what and why has Nelson Mandela done to impact millions nationwide.

Nelson Mandela was in activist for the civil right movement. I chose him because he is very famous throughout the world and I had done research about him in the past. I also, wanted to know more about him and the reason why he spend so much time in prison.How was his spirit still not broken?Later on, I find out that he was sent to jail because he stood up against a government that was committing an egregious human rights abuses against blacks and South Africans. So I also wanted to know why the people liked him so much in South Africa? People loved him so much because he was giving peaceful speeches and non-violence marches that was giving the people hope.

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

Think of something in life that is awful that is happening in our world that you want to see go away, such as cancer. Now think of the government telling our country we couldn’t search for the cure for cancer because it was now illegal. You’d be pretty livid right? I mean its cancer; no one wants cancer to exist. Would you try to fight for the right for people to search for the cure? Would you step in as a leader to fight for that cause, no matter the consequences? What qualities would you need to lead? What is the one you need the most? I think the most important quality in a leader is to be inspiring. You have to motivate others to take action with you. Being inspiring is important because without being inspirational, you won’t have followers to support you, you can’t get your point across effectively, and you won’t be memorable.

Nelson Mandela, the pursuit of freedom let him go out of the tribal sheikhs and take part in the movement for the emancipation of the underground. He had spent much time in the prison of a quarry, finally entered the presidential palace of the richest country in Africa. Nelson Mandela has strong character and he venerated national heroes. He is the eldest son in the family and is designated as the emirate. But he said he would never rule an oppressed tribe as the emirate. He devoted all his life to the national liberation in the name of a warrior. He resolutely goes on the path of the pursuit of national liberation.