Three Leaders, One Cause, One Huge Impact
Imagine being treated differently, poorly, and cruely, just because you looked different than the people around you. Unfortunately for Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Melba Pattillo Beals, they didn’t have to imagine it; they experienced it. These three individuals helped to enact a change to social injustice by persevering through their struggles while keeping the bigger picture, racial equality, in mind. Nelson Mandela’s strong-willed personality and dedication lead to enact a change to the social injustice he, along with many others, was experiencing. Nelson Mandela writes about how his personal hope for freedom opened his eyes to the struggle for freedom for all those around him, stating, “That is …show more content…
He realized that freedom was not selfish, but a right to all. Another time when Mandela writes about how his search for freedom changed his views is when he states, “... That transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk” (Long Walk to Freedom). Mandela, once a rule-follower, explains how his quest for freedom was rooted from his experience in the African National Congress. He once believed that obeying the rules and following the social norm would be best for society. He quickly realized the importance of fighting for what is right. A final example that demonstrates Nelson Mandela's hunger for freedom is when he writes about how his years spent in prison, stating, “It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of …show more content…
Melba had to endure many hard struggles of racism and harassment while being one of the first African American students integrating into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Melba’s Memoir Warriors Don’t Cry, she writes, “Be patient, our people`s turn will come. You'll see. Your lifetime will be different from mine. I might not live to see change, but you will....” (10). In this quote, Melba’s grandmother is helping her understand how impactful her actions are for future generations. Melba took this to heart and knew that no matter what hatred Central High students expressed towards her, she would persevere and continue to fight for the greater good. Another incidence where Melba demonstrates her strength is when she is confronted with an unsettling question by a reporter, “‘Would you like to be white?’’Do you wish you were Negro?... I`m proud of who I am. My color is inconvenient right now, but it won't always be like this’” (Beals 105). Melba does not shy away from the question from the reporter, but instead uses her bravery to think of a mature answer she is confident in. In this quote, Melba demonstrates what it truly means to be a warrior. Finally, Melba has had an enormous impact on the world with her actions by influencing others to take action in what they believe in, “Until I am human, I welcomed everywhere as an equal simply because I am human, I remain a warrior
Imagine being treated differently, poorly, and cruely, just because you looked different than the people around you. Unfortunately for Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, and Melba Pattillo Beals, they didn’t have to imagine it; they experienced it. These three individuals helped to enact a change to social injustice by persevering through their struggles while keeping the bigger picture, racial equality, in mind. Nelson Mandela’s strong-willed personality and dedication lead to enact a change to the social injustice he, along with many others, was experiencing. Nelson Mandela writes about how his personal hope for freedom opened his eyes to the struggle for freedom for all those around him, stating, “That is …show more content…
He realized that freedom was not selfish, but a right to all. Another time when Mandela writes about how his search for freedom changed his views is when he states, “... That transformed a frightened young man into a bold one, that drove a law-abiding attorney to become a criminal, that turned a family-loving husband into a man without a home, that forced a life-loving man to live like a monk” (Long Walk to Freedom). Mandela, once a rule-follower, explains how his quest for freedom was rooted from his experience in the African National Congress. He once believed that obeying the rules and following the social norm would be best for society. He quickly realized the importance of fighting for what is right. A final example that demonstrates Nelson Mandela's hunger for freedom is when he writes about how his years spent in prison, stating, “It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of …show more content…
Melba had to endure many hard struggles of racism and harassment while being one of the first African American students integrating into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. In Melba’s Memoir Warriors Don’t Cry, she writes, “Be patient, our people`s turn will come. You'll see. Your lifetime will be different from mine. I might not live to see change, but you will....” (10). In this quote, Melba’s grandmother is helping her understand how impactful her actions are for future generations. Melba took this to heart and knew that no matter what hatred Central High students expressed towards her, she would persevere and continue to fight for the greater good. Another incidence where Melba demonstrates her strength is when she is confronted with an unsettling question by a reporter, “‘Would you like to be white?’’Do you wish you were Negro?... I`m proud of who I am. My color is inconvenient right now, but it won't always be like this’” (Beals 105). Melba does not shy away from the question from the reporter, but instead uses her bravery to think of a mature answer she is confident in. In this quote, Melba demonstrates what it truly means to be a warrior. Finally, Melba has had an enormous impact on the world with her actions by influencing others to take action in what they believe in, “Until I am human, I welcomed everywhere as an equal simply because I am human, I remain a warrior