Who Is Nelson Mandela?

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In South Africa, apartheid was a system of racial segregation where the white minority ruled over the majority of black inhabitants, treating them less than human. One man served nearly 30 years in prison fighting for equal rights, his name was Nelson Mandela (1918-2013). His contribution helped bring the end of apartheid and he was a global advocate for human rights. Through many hardships he persevered and by 1994, he was elected president of South Africa. I chose Nelson Mandela because in high school, one of my teachers had a deep appreciation for him and I was very intrigued in what he had to say. Sadly, he has recently past away; however, his ideology spread across the world and it gained him a nobel peace prize.
One of his most famous
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His tone showed he did not feel remorse nor scared at the time when his actions could have ended his life. He had an authoritative voice which made the minority scared and brought many tribes together. In the beginning, Mandela tells his own autobiographical to that point, landing him in prison; while it may be long, even hard to follow, it is syntactically placed perfectly so that the audience will be able understand where he is coming from. In other words, he is making himself a credible character. Later in his speech, he tells how unfair the government is and it tyrannical hold on the country. Then he finished with his strong ideology.. Similarly to a story, he encourages many of his peers never to give up hope, even though it is one of darkest moments in South Africa’s history. Now, “Prepared to die” is a very strong phrase to use, but in this case, it shows the audience his cause to fight the oppression is his utmost importance. There are many more times where Mandela uses phrases like this to express his feeling. By conveying how he feels, he relates with the majority since they feel the same …show more content…
Starting with comparing the past to the present, then thanking everyone who played a role in changing the country and lastly stating the future is brighter if “we” work together.
Overall, many people supported what he had to say. He was a hero all over the world and after his presidency, he went around the world advocating for human rights. His speeches were inspirational and he became a national icon. To me, he was an extraordinary speaker. Reading, listening and watching his speeches, I could tell they were well crafted. He used many rhetorical devices that made his speeches more powerful. For example, in “I Am Prepared To Die” he gave his life story. This built up his credibility and gave facts about what was going on since he lived it. He used certain words that expressed sympathy which made the audience much more susceptible to what he had to say. When he spoke, he would have an authoritative voice but also he was humble since he believed in equality. I thought the only weakness was not speaking in his native tongue. However, further investigation proved it was the fourth most common language in South Africa, and also english was easier for people worldwide to understand his ideology. With word comes power, and his words shook the world for the

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