Nelson Mandela was born July 18, 1918 in a small village in southern Africa and named Rolihlahla Mandela. In a country controlled by a white government, he was extremely fortunate to become the first of his family to attend school. Since his name meant “troublemaker,” his school teacher decided to call him Nelson hoping that he would not cause trouble with a new name. Little did she know that in a few years he would become one of the greatest troublemakers in history; a man who would change the racial ideals of the ruling white minority.…
When Mandela became part of the African National Congress, he made a very courageous decision to fight against apartheid. Apartheid was supported by the government, as it was a system which allowed white members of the South African government to have more superiority over African citizens. Mandela risked his reputation and life to stand up for people who did not gain anything from apartheid. Nelson Mandela passed the test because he could have easily allowed apartheid to continue in South Africa, but instead he stood up for all of the people who were suffering from the…
Nelson Mandela became a leader in the African national congress. At first he pushed hard for the congress and the protesters to follow Ghandi’s non-violent approach. He…
He believed that Government policy had created an atmosphere in which “violence by the African people had become inevitable” and that “unless reasonable leadership was given…to control the feelings of [the]people”, “there would be outbreaks of terrorism which would produce…hostility between the various races.” No other way was open to the African people, to fight “in their struggle against the principle of White Supremacy.” He refused to acknowledge the decree that the ANC was an “unlawful organization” and said the acceptance of such a decree would be “equivalent to accepting the silencing of the Africans for all time”. Mandela was not a violent man and did not resort to violence lightly, but it seemed to be the only way to accomplish the ANC’s goals, as “all lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had been closed by legislation.” Mandela did not want an “international war and tried to avoid it to the last minute”, but also stated that his ideals were “worth dying for”. It was degrading for the African people to be thought of as a “separate breed” and “the fight against poverty and lack of human dignity” “was real and not imaginary.” To say differently was demeaning. The enforcement of apartheid lead to terrible conditions for blacks and “to a breakdown in moral standards” resulting in “growing violence.” Mandela and the ANC leaders were attracted to communism for the simple fact that “for decades [the] communists were the only political group in South Africa who were prepared to treat Africans and human beings and their…
On July 18th, 1918, Mandela was born in Mvezo on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa (Biography of Nelson Mandela). He was born with the name of "Rolihlahla", meaning "pulling the branch of a…
Nelson Mandela was a visionary freedom fighter who brought about the end of an apartheid society and solidified the democratic elections of presidents by majority rule to South Africa. Born in 1918, Mandela’s early introduction to leadership in the Thembu tribe molded his democratic beliefs ("Nelson Mandela," 2009). His youth found him exposed to Western culture which ultimately led him to abandon the Thembu culture and relocate to Johannesburg ("Nelson Mandela," 2009). It was during his early years in Johannesburg that he explored the many political philosophies that surrounded him. It was also during this time that Mandela began thoughtful observation and contemplation of the struggles of the black men and women in South Africa. Mandela came to the conclusion, “It was not lack of ability that limited my people, but lack of opportunity” (Sohail, 2005). His profound dissatisfaction with the apartheid society and the oppression of his people eventually led him to join the African National Congress or ANC in 1944 ("Nelson Mandela," 2009).…
In Mandela’s life he was put in jail for a long period of time. After that he did what he…
Being born into one of the most diverse areas of Africa, Nelson Mandela had witnessed first hand discrimination against the black Africans. His father was the head of their clan, and was constantly fighting for the rights of blacks in that area of South Africa as well (Encyclopedia Britannica). It was the sufferings of his people that motivated him to become a lawyer. Mandela had gone to many different universities to study Law, even going outside of the country at times (Encyclopedia Britannica). After finishing law school Mandela, was admitted to the African National Congress, also known as the ANC, which had the main goal of giving more rights to the black South African people. It would be after Mandela joined the ANC, that he would turn South Africa into a racially equal nation.…
At the age of 24 he joined the ANC (African National Congress), it was a “group that sought to establish social and political rights for blacks in South Africa” (Nelson Mandela par. 3). Mandela and his close friend Sisulu founded the “ANC Youth League”. This group just like Marther Luther King Jr. did nonviolent protest to get there point across the government. Because of this many protester were beaten by police and jailed for defying South Africa’s government, this include Mandela as well. After he was release he continue on with his campaign even though he was forbidden to from attend or doing public speaking. Things got worse after the death of 69 protesters who were unarmed were killed by police. The horrific massacre made Mandela decide…
He did not have the patience to tolerate what was going on in his country and so he chose a somewhat violent way of handling the situation. He cared for his people and he would go the extra mile to make sure they got what they deserved immediately. His leadership relied on what he could do right then and there, to stop the unfairness in his country. On the other hand Nelson Mandela was thoughtful in very unique ways. He chose the nonviolent way because he thought it was a more effective and a safe way of handling tough situations. In an interview he said, “Nonviolence was not a moral principle but a strategy; there is no moral goodness in using an ineffective weapon.”(43, Bill Keller). Mandela must have been the most patient leader to ever live. Even though a lot hardships fell along his way, he never showed any sign of impatience. He acted quietly and slowly, and deeply cared for his people. At his trial before he was sentenced to life in prison he said, “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 which I hope to live for and see realized. But if it need be , my Lord, it is an ideal which I am prepared to die for.” (44, Bill…
Nelson Mandela was the dreamer, with a dream to destroy the apartheid and earn equal rights. He was not a selfish man by any means, and wanted to save the other South African’s suffrage. In the 1900’s when Mandela began his pursuit, the citizens of South Africa were living under a skewed government. A white supremacy was running the black majority, and segregating laws were being passed to diminish any power given to black South Africans. By the mid 1950’s, the government had made it illegal for a white to get married to someone of an opposing race.…
Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa. He was educated at the University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand and qualified in law in 1942. In 1944, he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and became one of the many to engage in the resistance against Apartheid and the unjust white supremacy. In 1952, he earned the role of ANC deputy national president, and advocated nonviolent procedures towards Apartheid. From 1956 to 1961, he was arrested by the police and went on trial for treason, and fortunately was acquitted in 1961. After his release, he learned of several peaceful demonstrators being massacred, and so, he considered the use of guerrilla warfare and other violent tactics on…
Nelson Mandela has done so much you couldn’t decide what life-changing movement he has done to recognize him as a great warrior.But one world/life changing actions he has done is putting in efforts to end the apartheid.“Becoming actively involved in the anti-apartheid movement in his 20s, For 20 years, he directed a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the South African government and its racist policies.”(Nelson Mandela) Quote shows that even though he was put in jail for no…
Nelson Mandela possessed strong characteristics of worthiness, modesty and coolness. He has shown that his word is his bond and he can be counted on when times are hard. He clearly demonstrated this when he was able to encourage Black South Africa to reconcile with the White South Africa. Despite the fact that Mandela is looked up to and greatly recognized, he still maintains a humble, modest attitude in which the people of his country can relate to.”Good leaders do not run around like the world is about to end every time there is a problem, they send out vibes that read, we can work this out”. This quote defines Mandela to the point of his trustworthiness and modesty. When problems arise in Africa; Mandela remains calm and collected, while encouraging his people to make a change. For example, during his negotiations between Israel and Palestine he was able to quickly diffuse the situation and give people the confidence to work things out.…
Today we live in a world that continually stresses to us that, "All men are created equal." While this sounds great at face value, further inspection tells us that this is far from realistic and sadly may never be. One can examine any aspect of society whether it be race, religion, language, level of education, sexual orientation or economic status and notice that there are numerous characteristics and factors of identity that enable others to treat others differently. This truth may not be pleasant or make one feel all warm and fuzzy inside, however it is our society’s reality, however dismal it may be. Even if the statement above as to the equality of all men were true, how about women? Clearly women have made tremendous strides towards equality in recent decades however; we still live in a society in which the worth of women is measured in their physical appearance and not their intellectual contribution or talents. It is not an unknown secret that many women are paid considerably less than men for doing the same type of work. What effect does this obvious gap between men and women have on our nation’s female population? The effect of this is the unconscious perpetuation of the understanding that women are inferior to men in our society. This also stands in direct contradiction to the claim that we are all created equal. This gap between men and women can be seen in countless social arenas, such as, the workplace, the average household, educational institutions, the Catholic Church and even in our nation’s government. This inequality between men and women is not something new to our country or even the world for that matter. However, it is a phenomenon that is rarely discussed and is in dire need of investigation and scholarship. Through study and discussion, this will create an awareness of the situation that will undoubtedly assist in closing the gap between men and women.…