“He’s actually the rare revolutionary who actually sees the revolution through” – Nader
I was sad to hear about Nelson Mandella’s death today. He was an amazing person. Some history about him….
Born into a traditional Aftrican tribe, he was sent to boarding school. In his spare time, he studied to become a lawyer so that he could protect blacks. Work as a lawyer strengthened his feelings against apartheid (which segregated and discriminated against blacks in South Africa).
He joined the African National Congress (ANC), which, at the time, was polite to the government. Soon Nelson Mandela had persuaded the ANC to use boycotts and strikes against the government instead of being polite. He was arrested for civil disobedience, and was not allowed to attend gatherings.
After a massacre, Nelson went underground and created the MK – a military portion of the ANC. He launched a sabotage campaign. On his return from Algeria he was arrested for going between countries without a passport, and was tried for sabotage and attempting to overthrow the government. He spent the next 28 years in prison.
While Nelson was in prison he was offered freedom if he would stop his violent actions. He refused this offer.
In July of 1991, Nelson Mandela was appointed President of the ANC. Nelson decided to join the government and other parties to negotiate South Africa’s future. Finally everyone came to agree on a majority rule constitution. This constitution states that racial discrimination it is against the law.
In 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with F.W. de Klerk for dismantling apartheid, and in 1994 he became the first democratically elected South African president.
He was quite a guy and truly shows how one man can make a difference in this world. Well done Mandela.
