Rest in Peace
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Former Nobel Peace Prize winner and South African president, Nelson Mandela, passed away on December 5, 2013, at the age of 95. Known by his admirers as Tata, or “Father,” Mandela is thought of as the “last Great Liberator of the 20th century” and is known worldly for his work as an anti-apartheid revolutionary.
Mandela was born on May 18th, 1918 to a local tribal chief living in the Umtata district of Transkei. He attended the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and received his degree in law in 1942. Two years later Mandela helped to form the African National Congress Youth League along with Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu. Mandela took up leadership of the Defense Campaign and, in an act of protest against the racial segregation laws in place at the time Mandela, was eventually prohibited from attending gatherings and eventually, from leaving Johannesburg altogether. With this being said, Mandela continues to support the Freedom Charter, a group that calls for a more socialist based economy with a non-racial democracy, and goes on to form the first black law partnership in South African history. Mandela, along with 156 other South Africans, was charged with treason in 1956 and acquitted five years later. On March 21, 1960, a state of emergency is declared after sixty-nine black protesters are killed by police in Sharpeville; the African National Congress Youth League, the group which Mandela helped to found, is outlawed as a result. In efforts to fight back, Mandela creates a guerrilla branch of the ANCYL that goes by the name of Umkhonto we Sizwe, meaning “the Spear of the Nation.” Mandela is first sentenced in 1962, after he is charged with illegally leaving the country and provoking unlawful strikes. For this, he is sentenced to five years hard labor. Police later find guerrilla campaign plans, and on June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela is found guilty of sabotage along with seven other people, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in Robben Island Prison. On February 2, 1990, South African president, F.W. de Klerk officially legalizes the ANC. Nine days later, after spending 27 years in a cell, Mandela is finally released from prison. On August 6, the ANC renounces their violent tactics and unanimously elect Mandela as the president of the ANC in 1991. With this election, the very last of the major apartheid laws are repealed. Mandela and de Klerk both win Nobel Peace Prizes in 1993 for their main roles in the negotiations ending the apartheid, abling a draft constitution to be accepted, allowing for South Africa’s first all-race election. All of these events coincide to lead up to May 10th, 1994: Nelson Mandela is officially elected as South Africa’s first black president. Mandela does retire after only one term as president in 1999, choosing to focus on the efforts to create peace in other parts of the African continent, and the efforts to fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS virus. International Mandela Day was declared on Mandela’s 91st birthday back in 2005, created by its organizers as a day completely dedicated to community service. Mandela made his last public appearance on July 11th, 2010 at Soccer City stadium during the World Cup. After spending a majority of his 95 years here on earth dedicated to changing the world and revolutionizing civil rights for the modern world, Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5th, 2013 after losing his battle with a recurring lung infection.
Although he is no longer with the world in body, the ideas, the contributions, and the memory of Nelson Mandela will continue live on as the fight for civil rights continues all over the globe.
Mandela was born on May 18th, 1918 to a local tribal chief living in the Umtata district of Transkei. He attended the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa and received his degree in law in 1942. Two years later Mandela helped to form the African National Congress Youth League along with Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu. Mandela took up leadership of the Defense Campaign and, in an act of protest against the racial segregation laws in place at the time Mandela, was eventually prohibited from attending gatherings and eventually, from leaving Johannesburg altogether. With this being said, Mandela continues to support the Freedom Charter, a group that calls for a more socialist based economy with a non-racial democracy, and goes on to form the first black law partnership in South African history. Mandela, along with 156 other South Africans, was charged with treason in 1956 and acquitted five years later. On March 21, 1960, a state of emergency is declared after sixty-nine black protesters are killed by police in Sharpeville; the African National Congress Youth League, the group which Mandela helped to found, is outlawed as a result. In efforts to fight back, Mandela creates a guerrilla branch of the ANCYL that goes by the name of Umkhonto we Sizwe, meaning “the Spear of the Nation.” Mandela is first sentenced in 1962, after he is charged with illegally leaving the country and provoking unlawful strikes. For this, he is sentenced to five years hard labor. Police later find guerrilla campaign plans, and on June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela is found guilty of sabotage along with seven other people, and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in Robben Island Prison. On February 2, 1990, South African president, F.W. de Klerk officially legalizes the ANC. Nine days later, after spending 27 years in a cell, Mandela is finally released from prison. On August 6, the ANC renounces their violent tactics and unanimously elect Mandela as the president of the ANC in 1991. With this election, the very last of the major apartheid laws are repealed. Mandela and de Klerk both win Nobel Peace Prizes in 1993 for their main roles in the negotiations ending the apartheid, abling a draft constitution to be accepted, allowing for South Africa’s first all-race election. All of these events coincide to lead up to May 10th, 1994: Nelson Mandela is officially elected as South Africa’s first black president. Mandela does retire after only one term as president in 1999, choosing to focus on the efforts to create peace in other parts of the African continent, and the efforts to fight against the deadly HIV/AIDS virus. International Mandela Day was declared on Mandela’s 91st birthday back in 2005, created by its organizers as a day completely dedicated to community service. Mandela made his last public appearance on July 11th, 2010 at Soccer City stadium during the World Cup. After spending a majority of his 95 years here on earth dedicated to changing the world and revolutionizing civil rights for the modern world, Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5th, 2013 after losing his battle with a recurring lung infection.
Although he is no longer with the world in body, the ideas, the contributions, and the memory of Nelson Mandela will continue live on as the fight for civil rights continues all over the globe.