Nelson Mandela Essay

Nelson Mandela was a man of honor. A man who sacrificed his life for the betterment of others. He was born July 18, 1918 in South Africa. He grew up in a segregated country. He later became an activist against apartheid. He protested and paraded the country. He got arrested and spends the next 27 years in prison. He still did not give up the fight against apartheid. After getting out of prison he became the first democratic elected president of South Africa from 1991 to 1997. After his presidency he created several nonprofit organizations to help and make South Africa better. Nelson Mandela was a man who doesn’t care what people say or think about him. He always does what he thinks is right even when the majority disagrees with him he still goes on doing what he thinks is best. When he started fighting to end apartheid, he knew that he was sacrificing his life. He knew that his life was shortened. That death was near, but he doesn’t care because he knows that his sacrifice will pay off eventually. Nelson Mandela was born in South Africa. All through his childhood, living in South Africa as a black man was brutal because of the apartheid. There was different school for black children. Restaurants were segregated, maids were used as slaves. Growing up, the rule at that time was that at 6 pm, a siren would sound, which meant that no black people were allowed on the streets after that time. If they are caught by the police they had to show prove of identity. If they couldn’t produce this, they were arrested and put in jail. Black South Africans owned noting during that era. No houses, no cars and they weren’t allowed to have accounts of any kind. Even at the mall there were different bathrooms for white people. Park benches were segregated public water fountains were segregated. Almost everything starting from the public transit to owning an apartment was separated between whites and blacks in South Africa. In 1961, Nelson Mandela became leader of the armed wing branch of government. He protested all over the country, sabotaging the apartheid government. Since the non-violent way of trying to end apartheid is not working, he devices a plan which call to destroying several government buildings. Such as, the post office, the police station and other government offices. It worked great until citizens started getting killed in the buildings. The police arrested him on numerous occasions, with no solid evidence they let him go. Finally they arrested him for treason and sabotaging the government. After getting arrested he was sentenced to 27years in prison. In the winter of 1964, Nelson Mandela arrived on Robben Island where he would spend 18 years of his 27 years prison sentence. Put in a small cell, with no bed, just a bucket for a toilet, he was forced to do hard labor in a quarry. He was granted one visitor a year for 30 minutes. He could write and receive one letter every six months. But Robben Island became the place, which transformed him. Through his intelligence, charm and relentless pursuit, Mandela eventually controlled even the most brutal prison officers to his will. He gained leadership over his prison mates and became the head of his own prison.