Nelson Mandela

Jason Borromeo

Shewmaker

HSE: Per 3

2 February 2016

Nelson Mandela

Duke Ellington once said, "A problem is a to do chance your best." This quote explains how Nelson Mandela, a South African activist, solved one of his country's biggest problems of all, inequality. Nelson Mandela was born July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa, and unfortunately, his father died when he was nine years old. Mandela was the first in his family to have an education, which later led to him getting expelled for organizing a student strike against his university. After being expelled, he got a job at a law firm as a clerk, leading him to study law. This is when he started to fight for freedom and equality. Then, Mandela started attending African National Congress meetings in the 1940s, slowly turning him into an amazing activist. Through his activist career, Mandela eventually changed his country, and led them to democracy.  A hero must possess the ability to sacrifice for the greater good, the ability to persevere, and have the skills of a good leader. While sacrificing his personal freedom, persevering through hardships, and willing to die for what he believed, Nelson Mandela was not only a South African activist, but a true hero.

Nelson Mandela sacrificed many years of his life to achieve equality. Mandela was convicted of treason for his beliefs. "In 1963 the police raided the MK headquarters, arrested many of its leaders, and also discovered documents that mentioned Mandela. Mandela and nine fellow accused saboteurs were found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on June 11, 1964" (Stock). Sentenced to life in prison, Mandela tried to do what was right for him and his people. They started to organize a militia to sabotage the government leading some to jail. Mandela was starting the revolt to end the apartheid government. Achieving the democracy and equality he wanted was difficult for him, causing him to spend many years of his life in jail.  Mandela had spent "a lifetime of fighting for the rights of black South Africans, which resulted in his imprisonment for over 27 years, Nelson Mandela was overwhelmingly elected president of post-apartheid South Africa in the first elections ever held that were open to all citizens of the country" (Nelson). Mandela was released when he was 71 years old, imprisoned for only doing what was right. He only wanted equal rights from the government. His whole life, Mandela fought for equality, showing that he was a hero. Many of these years were in prison, but still he made a difference while incarcerated. In the end it all paid off as Mandela became the first president of the democratic South Africa. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in prison, watching his children grow up behind bars. He fought for freedom and was put in jail.

Nelson Mandela persevered through all of the challenges he faced. In prison, conditions were horrible; small cells, little food, and "their bodies were exposed to pushing working conditions, Mandela made sure their minds were kept sharp" (Kile). Mandela persevered through horrible conditions in prison, with tiny cells and hard work. He could have just gave up, but he didn't, he fought for better conditions, and helped others. During this time Mandela even brought the spirits up of his fellow inmates. Showing how he faced, and overcame, every challenge that came across him. During the early years of his fight for equality, Mandela was always being searched for. "Mandela was constantly under the radar of the white racist regime during the whole of the 1950s. He was brought to trial for his role in the Defiance Campaign and convicted of contravening the Suppression of Communism Act of 1950, for which he received a suspended prison sentence" (Korieh). Mandela could have gave up his goal, but instead he kept fighting for equality. Going under the radar shows how he won't stop fighting for his goal. Mandela always fought for the freedom, forcing him to have jail time, never choosing the easy way out of his problems, he persevered through them. Nelson Mandela had to persevere through hard times from being in jail, to hiding from the government.

Nelson Mandela believed in equality so much, he would have died in order to achieve. In court, Mandela faced life in prison, he stated, "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die" (Korieh). Facing life in prison, Nelson Mandela promoted the idea of democracy and freedom. He was prepared to die to achieve his goals. Mandela would have never gave up his beliefs, even if he had to rot in prison for the rest of his life. Once released, Mandela kept at his life's work. "Even under the difficult circumstances of his twenty-seven-year incarceration, Mandela never renounced his beliefs, his principles, or his political goals" (Stock). Throughout the 27 harsh years of prison he never even thought about renouncing his beliefs. This shows how he did whatever it took to achieve equality. He would have never gave up his beliefs. Mandela will do anything to achieve his goals for him and for his people. In the face of a judge, sentencing him to life, Mandela never gave up his beliefs, even telling the judge that all he wanted was equality.

Nelson Mandela sacrificed his freedom, persevered through everything, and would have died for his beliefs, not because he was a South African activist, but because Nelson Mandela was a hero. Mandela spent over 27 years in prison, just to achieve equality. During prison, conditions were horrible, but that didn't stop Mandela. He brought up others spirits, and fought for better conditions. Mandela undoubtedly would have died to achieve equality and democracy. Nelson Mandela inspires me to be better at achieving our goals. After jail, Mandela went right back to work. "Released on February 11, 1990, Mandela plunged wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier" (Korieh). Mandela never gave up, was tough throughout prison, and would have always made the ultimate sacrifice if needed. This is inspiring to me because after all Mandela went through, he still achieved his goal of equality. Mandela taught me to never give up your dreams, no matter how hard they seem to be. Because of his ability to never give up and always sacrifice for the greater good, Nelson Mandela was the living form of a 'hero'