Nelson Mandela Research Paper

Nelson Mandela was the first black president of South Africa, who’s government focused on dealing with racism and racial segregation issues. Born Rolihlahla Mandela, when he was 7 years old his mother sent him to study at a Methodist school and while there he was given the name “Nelson” by one of his teachers. When he was 9, his father died and he inherited his father’s “proud rebelliousness” and “stubborn sense of fairness”, as he felt lost and struggled to find purpose in life. And then, as he got older, Christianity and African history became big parts of his life. After he was adopted by a tribal leader, and became the first person in his family to achieve some level of formal education, he was arranged a marriage but fled to Johannesburg where he worked as a night watchman and a law clerk while he completed his bachelor's degree. It was while …show more content…
After serving 18 of his 27 years in prison in inhumane conditions, he remained the symbolic leader of the anti racism movement, and his business partner Oliver Tambo started a “Free Nelson Mandela” campaign which made him a household name and put both international and local pressure on South Africa’s racist government, before he was moved to a different prison, and later placed on house arrest, before he was released on February 11th 1990, by newly elected president F. W. de Klerk. After he was released, Mandela became involved in negotiations between the ANC, the government and other political organizations which earned him a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and the title as South Africa’s first black president in 1994. As president he fought for a multiracial government, without racial segregation or discrimination. He focused on improving human rights and the living standards of South Africa’s black population that had had been ignored and violated by past governments, by introducing several social and economic