Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela: A True Hero

The hard floor of the tiny cell is cold under your feet.  The sun's final rays are filtering in through the small, barred window in the wall.  Your arms and back are aching from heavy labor all day.  Now though, all you can think about is crashing onto the tiny mat on the floor along the wall and closing your eyes.  Just as you feel as close to comfortable as you know you'll ever get, you hear yelling -- angry yelling.  Through the bars that form your door you see the guard shouting at someone in the cell over.  For a second you can't even remember why you are here in the first place.  Then you do remember. You believe that all men should be free, regardless of race.  And for that, they sent you to prison.  These are the conditions that Nelson Mandela lived in for nearly 28 years, and all because he believed that all people should have an equal say in government.  Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, a small village in South Africa.  The son of a tribal chief, he learned the long history of his family's bravery during the wars against white settlers.  From an early age Mandela dreamed of contributing to the struggle of his people.  South Africa was governed solely by the white minority, who enforced the brutal rule of apartheid (only whites had certain rights, including the right to vote).  After his father's death in 1927, Mandela went to school where he received the name Nelson.  In 1944 Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and resisted the government's apartheid.  In 1960 the ANC was banned, and Mandela supported the formation of a military wing of the party.  In 1961 the ANC considered using violence against the government, under command of Nelson Mandela.  In 1962 he was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, but he was brought back to trial in 1964 along with seven other ANC leaders and was sentenced to life imprisonment.  Mandela was incarcerated at two of the nation's toughest prisons, Robben Island and Pollsmoor Prison.  During his time in prison, Mandela grew a reputation as one of the most important black leaders in South Africa.  Under great international pressure, on February 11, 1990, the government released Nelson Mandela from prison.  At that point, he started working with the government to abolish apartheid.  In 1993 Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his now peaceful efforts to equalize South Africa.  In April 1994 Nelson Mandela cast his first vote in the first free elections.  In May of the same year he was elected president.  He served one term then stepped down.  Since that time he has gone around the world speaking out against racism and inequality.  This hero is now 93 years old and lives in South Africa.  A hero cannot be just like everybody else, he must possess special traits that set him apart from the rest of us.  Nelson Mandela possesses heroic traits such as hope, determination, and he is a pioneer for good.

Mandela went free on February 11th 1990. ( )

Nelson Mandela was born into a hostile world.  South Africa was under the control of a racist government that enforced the brutal rule of apartheid.  Even though the future looked bleak for him and all of South Africa, Mandela never lost hope that he could help to make the world a better place.  Because he spoke out about his belief that all people, black or white, should be considered equal and have an equal fair say in government, Mandela was put in prison for nearly 28 years.  But even that was not enough to diminish his hope in the future.  "Let the strivings of us all, prove Martin Luther King Jr. to have been correct, when he said that humanity can no longer be tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war. Let the efforts of us all, prove that he was not a mere dreamer when he spoke of the beauty of genuine brotherhood and peace being more precious than diamonds or silver or gold. Let a new age dawn!" (Nobelprize.org).  Even after 27 years in prison, Mandela bore no animosity toward his jailers, and he put his prejudices aside to help work toward what he hoped would be a brighter future, not just for South Africa, but for the world.  Many people in his position may have been bitter and angry with the world and would have sat unforgivingly until that anger consumed them, and anything useful they could have offered to society.  But Mandela's vision of the future pushed him to work with his former enemies to reach his goal of a better South Africa.  By 1994 his dreams were well on their way to becoming a reality when, on the 10^th of May 1994, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated president of the Republic of South Africa.  On May 12^th he addressed the people.  "This is one of the most important moments in the life of our country.  I stand here before you filled with deep pride and joy-- pride in the ordinary, humble people of this country.  You have shown such calm, patient determination to reclaim this country as your own, and now the joy that we can loudly proclaim from the rooftops: 'Free at last! Free at last." (Gale Biography).  All the hard work Mandela had put into improving his country had finally culminated in his being elected the first black president of South Africa, and it is obvious that he felt that the peoples' patience and hope had finally paid off.  As the president, Mandela continued to try to mend the wounds inflicted by the apartheid regime and to spread his message of hope and forgiveness throughout South Africa and the world.  Mandela's never-dying hope in the people of his country and in the future is an inspiration to all of us.

Nelson Mandela possessed an incredible amount of hope and determination, and he is a person who isn't afraid to follow a new path.  He is a hero.  A hero isn't just another face in the crowd.  A hero possesses certain traits that make him or her different from the average person.  Nelson Mandela inspires me to hope that no matter the circumstances, no matter the odds, there is a brighter future waiting.  He also inspires me to be able to set my mind to something and just do it, no matter who tries to stand in my way.  He further inspires us all to stand up and try something new, something unique; in a way, to just be ourselves.  Nelson Mandela truly is a hero worthy of recognition.  He has pushed his way through all life had to throw at him and made it to where he wanted to be.  The actions of this great man have been felt and seen all over the world and will continue to be long into the future.  He has helped to bring the world into a new age of freedom and equality, and has shown the everyday people of this world that their voice should and does make a difference.  Nelson Mandela has truly changed the world for the better.  He is the very definition of "hero."

Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993

Nelson Mandela was a pioneer of his country.  In 1993, Mandela and President de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace prize "for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa" (Nobelprize.org).  Mandela played a major role in the dismantlement of apartheid and helped pave the way for the social reform that was to come by his hand.  By 1994 blacks all across South Africa had gained the right to vote, in no small part due to the work done by Mandela, and the first free elections were held in South Africa -- Mandela was elected the first black president, and he did all he could to move the country in the right direction.  "I am your servant.  This is the time to heal the old wounds and build a new South Africa" (Gale Biography).  Nelson Mandela was given the daunting and unprecedented task of convincing the people to believe in this new South Africa, where all were equal.  His ever-present hope and determination helped him to fix and rebuild a broken country.  Nelson Mandela became the standard bearer of freedom, equality, and democracy, and he proudly waved that flag for the whole world to see.