Nelson Mandela

By: Gina Dewar

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is best known for being an advocate for democracy as well as considered the father of Modern South Africa. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for fighting against the oppressive government and destroying the Apartheid regime. For opposing the system, he was incarcerated for 27 years in harsh and inhuman conditions, but he never gave up. He was released in 1990 after the Free Nelson Mandela campaign was launched in 1980 by Oliver Tambo.

As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.

He was the first black president of South Africa, serving from 19941999.

It is still being determined how he got the name MADIBA. Still, a professor at Michigan State University, Peter Alegi, who specializes in South African history, said, “Using Madiba’s name is to reclaim his Africanness and downplay the Nelson part, a colonial legacy that unfortunately shacked much of the African continent.”

Nelson Mandela passed away when he was 95 in Johannesburg in 2013.

Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated worldwide every July 18 by making a difference in our community. We can all participate by taking action and being the change the world expects.

It is in your hands to make a better world for all who live in it.

- Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)

Nelson Mandela

Yousuf Karsh