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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on the 18th of July 1918 in the small village of Mvezo on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa. Nelson Mandela’s father served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years but he unfortunately lost this title due to an argument with the local colonial magistrate. Mandela was only a baby at the time and his father’s loss of position forced his mother to move the family to a smaller village called Qunu which is located North of Mvezo. When Mnadela was in university, he studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University College of Fort Hare. Unfortunately, he did not complete the degree due to him being expelled for joining a protest. (“Nelson Mandela Biography.” Biography, A&E Television Networks, 2018)

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1993 for his role in abolishing South African Apartheid. Mandela wanted South Africa to be a country where all races, religions and people were equal and he was prepared to die for this cause. He stated “I have cherished the ideal 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 achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”  Mandela was very passionate about liberating black people from their role as near-indentured servants in South African society. Once all races were finally able to vote in 1991, Mandela became the first black president. Throughout his time as president, he helped other African countries move to the same ideal.

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Nelson Mandela spent a whole of 27 years in prison, from November 1962 until February 1990. He began in non-violent protests but then believed that armed struggle was the only way to achieve the change he wanted. In 1961, he co-founded MK which was an armed offshoot of the ANC devoted to sabotage and use revolutionary war tactics to end apartheid. Also in 1961, he arranged a three day national workers strike. The next year he was arrested for leading the strike and was sentenced five years in prison. In 1963, Mandela was put into trial again with 10 other ANC leaders who were all sentenced to life imprisonment for political offenses. For 18 of 27 years of his time in prison, Mandela was confined on Robben island. During this time, he was able to earn a Bachelor of law degree through a University of London correspondence program. For the remaining years of his imprisonment, he and other ANCleaders were moved to Pollsmoor Prison, to allegedly enable contact between them and the South African government. He was then finally released on the 11th of February, 1990. (Nelsonmandela.org. (2018). Biography of Nelson Mandela)

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Nelson Mandela was a religious man for some time due to most of his education being received in Methodist schools. However, later in life he recognised how the church was complicit in oppression of the African people stating “The (apartheid) policy was supported by the Dutch Reform Church, which furnished apartheid with its religious underpinnings by suggesting that Afrikaners were God’s chosen people and that blacks were a subservient species. In the Afrikaner’s worldview, apartheid and the church went hand in hand.” (“The Religious, Spiritual, Humanist Worldview And Inspiring Legacy Of Nelson Mandela.” Religion, Huff Post, 6 Dec. 2013,)

When Mandela was in jail it was a time of deep growth that changed his worldview. He began to write a lot of his concerns for humanity and justice. He strongly believed in the African concept of Ubuntu stating, “A traveler through a country would stop at a village and he didn’t have to ask for fod or water. Once he stops, the people give him food, entertain him. that is one aspect of Ubuntu, but it will have various aspects. Ubuntu does not mean that people should not enrich themselves. The question is: Are you going to do so in order to enable the community around you to be able to improve?”

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Nelson Mandela is a truly radical person whose worldview has benefitted many people in this world Not only did his legacy help those alive at the time, it has helped the future generation. His worldview was for everyone to be equal, specifically that black and white people are equal. This was a huge issue in South Africa between the Afrikaners and the Black people. Judgements, rude remarks and unfairness were granted upon black people (not just in south Africa) while Afrikaners had many more rights. Nelson Mandela’s worldview and beliefs helped change this unfairness and granted his people what the deserved. They were finally able to vote and with this new power, Mandela was granted to be the first black president. He used his power to create as much equality in the society as he could. His people benefitted from his power and although it wasn’t perfect, he was making a change and that’s what he was passionate about. His protests were selfless and brave and the consequences he was given were things he didn’t care about as long as other people were seeking a change and it was all to create the freedom and equality everyone deserved. He did all this while inspiring people and his legacy still lives today. He was a selfless, passionate man and that is why he is a truly radical person.

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The most inspiring thing for me about Nelson Mandela is that he didn’t give up. Although he was on trial and was in prison for 27 years, that didn’t stop him from trying so hard to make the change he so desperately wanted to see. Basically his whole life was spent with him helping others rather than being fixated on himself. He never complained about HIM not having the rights, he complained about all his people not having the rights and he did something about it. Although there were consequences and things weren’t always easy, he soldiered through it and became and strong, powerful well known man who is still inspiring people to this day. I think more people need to be like him and make a change instead of being fixated on the little stuff. Life is too short to complain about things that aren’t a big issue. Life is too short to be dwelling on things when only YOU can make the change. Don’t hold back because you’re scared of what others think. If you don’t like it and you’re passionate about it changing, take action. Don’t sit back and wait for others to do it for you. YOU MAKE THE CHANGE.

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Costello, Amy. “Nelson Mandela.” Polotics, PRI.org, 5 Dec. 2013, www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-05/nelson-mandela-man-who-brought-south-africa-out-apartheid-dies-95.

Forbes.com. (2018). Forbes Welcome. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2013/12/06/20-inspirational-quotes-from-nelson-mandela/ [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].

Kershaw, T. (2018). Nelson Mandela’s Religion and Political Views. [online] Hollowverse.com. Available at: https://hollowverse.com/nelson-mandela/ [Accessed 27 Feb. 2018].

Moore, Keith. Nelson Mandela Had an Open Mind, Opengovtv, 10 Jan. 2014, www.opengovtv.com/index.php/blog/education/item/1611-nelson-mandela-had-an-open-mind.

Nelsonmandela.org. (2018). Biography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation. [online] Available at: https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography [Accessed 4 Mar. 2018].

“Nelson Mandela Biography.” Biography, A&E Television Networks, 2018, www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017.

“The Religious, Spiritual, Humanist Worldview And Inspiring Legacy Of Nelson Mandela.” Religion, Huff Post, 6 Dec. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/06/nelson-mandela-religion-spirituality-_n_4399847.html.