The Impact Of Nelson Mandela's Impact On Society

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“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.” -Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela, born Rolihlahla Mandela in 1918, was an anti-apartheid revolutionary, who dedicated his life to dismantling the still widely-observed legacy of apartheid in his home country of South Africa. During his time, South Africa observed apartheid, and according to www.sahistory.org, this was a word (translated from the Afrikaans language) meaning “apartness,” and called for the separate development of the different racial groups in South Africa. This ideology forced those of difference races to live and develop separately, and attempted…show more content…
To fully understand the impact that Nelson Mandela had on society, it is important to first understand Mandela’s personal life and the obstacles and events that he faced which shaped his attitude and feelings towards many controversial issues occurring in South Africa at the time. The official webpage and biography of Nelson Mandela (https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography) helps to summarize the key points of Mandela’s life that had a significant impact on who he eventually became. In summary, Mandela faced many challenges in his life- his father died while he was young, however, his father had acted as principal counsellor to the Acting King of the Thembu people, and following his death, Mandela became a ward of Jogintaba at the Great Place, where he was privileged enough to hear the elders’ stories of his ancestors’ valor during the wars of resistance, which initially sparked the desire of making his own contribution to the freedom struggle of his people. Many historians believe this to be the beginning of Mandela’s politically structured mindset and dreams of helping his own…show more content…
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 (Mandela, Speech from the Dock).” During the time which Mandela lived, apartheid was still widely recognized, and his fight against this ideal was incredibly influential in modern history. Mandela set a world-wide example as he left prison after almost 30 years, prepared to forgive those that convicted him in the first place, and, upon acting as the first black president of South Africa, made everybody equal rather than punishing others for the events of the past. Not only did he contribute to the establishment of a democratically-run South Africa, he also persistently and successfully fought racism and apartheid. Mandela is an incredible inspiration to those that are currently in similar struggles, and, as stated on the official web-biography of Nelson Mandela (https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography), “His life is an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived; and to all who are opposed to oppression and

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