an essay about nelson mandela day

Nelson Mandela Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on nelson mandela.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in the Transkei village close Umtata. Nelson Mandela was sent to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school with some reputation where he enrolled after getting a primary education at a local mission school. He then registered for the Bachelor of Arts degree at Fort Hare University College where he was appointed to the Representative Council of the Student. Also, he was suspended for joining a protest boycott from college. He went to Johannesburg where, by correspondence, he finished his BA, took clerkship papers and began studying for his LLB . The Nelson Mandela essay is an insight into the life and works of the great man.

The greatest pleasure of Nelson Mandela, his most private moment, is to watch the sunset playing with the music of Händel or Tchaikovsky.

During daylight hours locked up in his cell, deprived of music, he was denied these two simple pleasures for centuries. Concerts were organized with his fellow inmates as far as possible, especially at Christmas time, where they would sing.

Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting and is interested in European classical music as well as African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But above all, one voice stands out – Paul Robeson’s, whom he defines as our hero.

The years in prison strengthened already engraved practices: athlete’s disciplined eating system started in the 1940s, as did the early morning practice. Nelson Mandela is still up by 4.30am today, regardless of how late he worked last night.

He started his exercise routine by 5 am, which lasts for at least an hour. Breakfast is at 6.30 when newspapers are read during the days. With a normal working day of at nearly 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is highly impatient with impunctuality, considering it to be insulting to those with whom you deal.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Life of Nelson Mandela

He has conducted comprehensive traveling since his release from prison when he spoke. Nelson Mandela claims: “The biography of Pandit Nehru helped me prepare for my discharge. Who wrote about what’s going on when you leave prison.

My daughter Zinzi claims she grew up without a dad who became the nation’s dad when he came back. This has put on my shoulders a huge burden.

And wherever I travel, I instantly start missing the familiar–the mine dumps, the uniquely South African color and smell, and especially the individuals. I don’t like being away for a long moment. There’s no place like home for me.

Mandela accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as a tribute to all those who worked for peace and opposed racism. This individual has been awarded as much as it has been to the ANC and all the individuals of South Africa.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

English Compositions

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF

Nelson Mandela was a political leader and a former president of South Africa. For his contribution to restoring peace and stability in the region, he is still remembered around the world. In today’s session, you will learn about the life of Nelson Mandela in order to write an essay on this eminent person for your upcoming exam.

Table of Contents

• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 100 Words 
• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 200 Words 
• Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 400 Words 

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 100 Words

Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders and freedom fighters of South Africa. He was born on 18th July 1918. He studied law and became a successful lawyer. While practising law, he got involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and soon joined the African National Congress.

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a white-only government and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries, fought against the oppressive rule. Because of their efforts, the white supremacist government was finally overthrown and Nelson Mandela became the first president of a multi-racial democratic South Africa in 1994. He was also the country’s first black president. He died on 5th December 2013, aged 95. He will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice.

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 200 Words

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African revolutionary leader and freedom fighter who played an important role in ending apartheid in the country. He was born on 18th July 1918 in a village called Mzevo into the Thembu royal family. Although his family was illiterate, he was sent to study in a local school by his mother.

He later studied law and started working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. While he was still studying, he faced racism and saw the terrible political state of his country. Soon, he started getting involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and joined the African National Congress. 

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a whites-only government, and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries, fought against the oppressive rule and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. However, even after spending a total of 27 years in jail, Mandela did not give up and continued with his efforts to end apartheid in the country. 

Finally, after decades of struggle, South Africa rose as a multi-racial democratic country and Nelson Mandela became its first president in 1994. He was also the country’s first-ever black president. He was an advocate of human rights and brought peace and stability to his country. Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest leaders in the world and he will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice. 

Short Essay on Nelson Mandela in 400 Words

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was one of the most important leaders in the history of South Africa as well as the world. He was born on 18th July 1918 in a village called Mzevo into the Thembu royal family. Although his family was illiterate, he was sent to study in a local school by his mother.

He later studied law and started working as a lawyer in Johannesburg. While he was still studying, he came face-to-face with racism and saw the terrible political state of his country. Soon, he started getting involved in anti-apartheid, anti-colonial, nationalist movements and joined the African National Congress. 

South Africa, at that time, was ruled by a whites-only government, and blacks were discriminated against in their own country. Mandela, along with other revolutionaries like Anton Lembede and Oliver Tambo, fought against the oppressive rule and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned.

However, even after spending a total of 27 years in jail, Mandela did not give up and continued with his efforts to end apartheid in the country. He led defiance campaigns against the government as well as the mass stay-at-home strikes. He also joined hands with anti-apartheid leaders around the world and trained in guerilla warfare. 

Nelson Mandela and his fellow leaders worked hard to end apartheid and bring justice to the millions of black Africans who had been suffering under the white supremacist government. After decades of struggle for freedom and equality, South Africa rose as a multi-racial democratic country in 1994, with the first fully democratic elections held on 27th April 1994.

The African National Congress, under the leadership of Mandela, won the elections by a huge margin and Nelson was sworn as the first president of a democratic South Africa. He held office till 1999 and was focused on national unity and reconciliation. 

Nelson Mandela’s government worked a lot for the betterment of society, granting old-age pensions, free healthcare for young children and pregnant women, building houses, providing electricity and connectivity as well as making proper education available for kids. Even after retiring from the political scene, he continued to work towards rural development, school construction and combating HIV/AIDS. He died on 5th December 2013 after suffering from a respiratory infection. 

Nelson Mandela was an advocate of human rights and brought peace and stability to his country. He was one of the greatest leaders in the world and he will always be remembered as an icon of democracy and social justice. 

That’s all about my presentation on the life of Nelson Mandela. Hopefully, this session has become able to fulfil your requirement.  If you have any doubts regarding this session, kindly let me know through the comment section below. 

To get the latest updates on our upcoming sessions, please join us on Telegram. Thanks for being with us. All the best. 

• School Life

Essay on Nelson Mandela: 10 Lines, Inspirational Short, Long Essays And Fascinating Facts

This article is a comprehensive hub for students to learn about nelson mandela. you can find facts, short and long essays on nelson mandela. nelson mandela international day is globally observed on july 18 every year. .

Every year Nelson Mandela International Day is observed on July 18 to honour the life of Nelson Mandela. This day is commemorated with the aim to remind people of the values and principles of Mandela’s life. Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary and the first democratically elected president of South Africa. His contribution and devotion to the cause of freedom from apartheid is etched in history. Read the article to get 10 lines, short and long essays and facts on Nelson Mandela. 

In November 2009, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day to ‘’recognize Mandela’s values, his dedication to humanity, protection of human rights, promotion of social justice, promotion of peace and contribution to struggle for democracy’’. 

Nelson Mandela International Day 2024: Theme 

10 lines on nelson mandela , short essay on nelson mandela in 150-200 words .

Born in 1918 in South Africa, Nelson Mandela devoted his life to fight against apartheid. Apartheid was the system of racial segregation and discrimination against the non-white people. Mandela was born into a tribal royal family. He studied law at the University of Witwatersrand. 

He became a prominent figure in the anti-apartheid movement. For his relentless struggle against apartheid, Mandela was awarded with imprisonment for 27 years. During his imprisonment, the support for him grew among the black people and other nations started to condemn the practice of discrimination. 

In 1990 Mandela was released from prison. He became the nation’s first democratically elected and black president in 1994. During his presidency, he introduced measures to improve the life conditions of black people. He promoted the values of justice and equality. Mandela emphasised on unity and forgiveness. Under his leadership, a democratic constitution was adopted in 1996. 

His presidency focused on efforts to unite a divided nation. Mandela spent his life advocating for social justice and human rights. His work gained him extraordinary love and respect from not just his countrymen but from other communities as well. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993. He died in 2013. 

Long Essay on Nelson Mandela in 300-500 words 

Nelson Mandela, or Madiba, as he was called by his followers, was a prominent figure in the apartheid movement in South Africa. His life was spent in fighting for equality and freedom for the black people. Even today he is considered to be a global icon for peace and justice. Mandela was born in 1918 in a village in South Africa. He was the son of a tribal chieftain. 

During that time the nation was trapped in the chains of apartheid, or racial segregation. The system of apartheid called for discrimination against the black community. This meant that the non-white people were required to live in areas separate from the white people. The black people were supposed to use separate public facilities. 

Growing up, Mandela witnessed how deeply the injustice was entrenched in the society and in people’s minds. He gradually became aware of the discriminatory policies of the government. He studied law and later joined the African National Congress (ANC). As a member of this organisation, Mandela continued to oppose the policies of those in power. 

One such policy was the pass laws, under which the non-white people were mandated to carry documents to be present in the places that the government had reserved for the white people. It is worth noting that Mandela championed non-violent means of resistance. His activism soon caught the attention of the government and he was banned/arrested several times. 

The banning of the ANC and the suppression of peaceful protests forced Mandela to give up non-violence and turn to armed struggle. He even trained in guerilla warfare. In 1963, Mandela and others were tried in the Rivonia trial. This trial was called the trial that changed South Africa. Mandela gave a three hour long speech standing in the dock. His speech ‘Why I am prepared to die’ became one of the most famous speeches in history. 

Mandela spent an arduous time of 27 years in imprisonment. Despite living in harsh conditions, he continued to emerge as a symbol of peace and hope. His imprisonment was condemned by people. He was finally released in 1990. His release brought the hope for the end of apartheid and the beginning of equal rights for all. 

Due to his steadfast commitment, the first democratic election was held in 1994 and Mandela became South Africa’s first black president. During his presidency, he focused on uniting the divided nation. He established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which undertook the task of investigating the cases of human rights violations during apartheid. 

Mandela is recognised globally as an icon of peace and reconciliation. His contribution to humanity, protection of human rights and equality for all groups is celebrated on his birthday as Nelson Mandela International Day. Throughout his life, Mandela lived by the values of forgiveness and compassion. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. 

Interesting Facts About Nelson Mandela

• Mandela founded the 4664 foundation to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS.

On this Nelson Mandela International Day, take a pledge to fight for peace and justice!

Also, Check

Nelson Mandela Day 2024: Speech in English and Hindi for School Students

Top 10 Fiction Books For Students: From Romance to Crime, This List Has Got It All!

Get here latest School , CBSE and Govt Jobs notification and articles in English and Hindi for Sarkari Naukari , Sarkari Result and Exam Preparation . Download the Jagran Josh Sarkari Naukri App .

• UP Police Answer Key 2024
• RRB NTPC Syllabus 2024
• RBI Grade B Admit Card 2024
• SSC GD Recruitment 2025
• SSC CGL Admit Card 2024
• UP Police Constable Question Paper 2024 PDF
• CDS Question Paper 2024
• Hindi Diwas Speech
• Hindi Diwas Kavita
• Hindi Diwas Slogans, Thoughts

Latest Education News

वाराणसी को पीछे छोड़, यूपी का यह शहर बना पर्यटकों की पहली पसंद, देखें टॉप 5 शहरों की लिस्ट

Weekly Current Affairs Quiz (09-16 Sept 2024): Boost Your Exam Score With Top Insights!

Weekly Current Affairs Quiz Hindi: 09 सितंबर 16 सितंबर 2024

Brain Teaser: High IQ Above 120? Prove Your Genius by Finding the Hidden Alien in Just 5 Seconds!

List of the Top 5 Most Venomous Spiders in the World

Picture Puzzle IQ Test: Only the smartest can spot the mistake in 5 seconds!

Today’s School Assembly News Headlines (16th September): IMD Issues ‘Red’ Alert in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha for Heavy Rainfall, Arvind Kejriwal to Vacate CM's House in Next 15 days and More

Top 5 Words Of the Day for School Morning Assembly: 16th September 2024

Haryana Assembly Election 2024: PM मोदी और पांच CM सहित BJP के स्टार प्रचारकों की लिस्ट जारी, देखें सभी नाम

Visual Skill Test: Only 2% of geniuses can find the word jeep in 9 seconds!

RRB NTPC Recruitment 2024: भारतीय रेलवे में 11558 पदों पर निकली भर्ती, जानें डिटेल

Haryana Congress Candidates List: कांग्रेस 89 सीटों पर लड़ेगी चुनाव, 1 सीट CPM को, यहां देखें सभी के नाम

Haryana BJP Candidate List 2024: सभी 90 बीजेपी उम्मीदवारों की लिस्ट जारी, यहां देखें सभी के नाम

Find 3 differences between the cactus pictures in 11 seconds!

Optical Illusion: Only People with Flawless Vision Ace This 15-Second IQ Test – Can You Find the Hidden Ring?

Optical Illusion IQ Test: Only 1% Hawk-Eyed Can Spot The Odd One Out Among 6092s in 8 Seconds!

Brain Teaser IQ Test: How Sharp Are Your Eyes? Spot the Odd Camel in 5 Seconds!

Brain Teaser IQ Test: How Intelligent Are You? Count The Number Of Circles Correctly In 5 Seconds!

हरियाणा का सबसे पूर्वी जिला कौन-सा है, जानें

Only 2 out of 10 people can find the word fauna in 7 seconds. Can you?

Former South African president and civil rights advocate Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for equality—and ultimately helped topple South Africa's racist system of apartheid. His accomplishments are now celebrated each year on July 18, Nelson Mandela International Day.

• HISTORY & CULTURE

How Nelson Mandela fought apartheid—and why his work is not complete

This activist dedicated his life to dismantling racism—and went from being the world’s most famous political prisoner to South Africa’s first Black president.

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in what was then known as the Union of South Africa, a dominion of the British Empire. Though the majority of its inhabitants were Black, they were dominated by a white minority that controlled the land, the wealth, and the government—a discriminatory social structure that would later be codified in the country’s legal system and called apartheid.

Over the next 95 years, Mandela would help topple South Africa’s brutal social order. During a lifetime of resistance, imprisonment, and leadership, Nelson Mandela led South Africa out of apartheid and into an era of reconciliation and majority rule.  

( Read with your kids about Nelson Mandela’s life. )

Mandela began his life under another name: Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela. His father was a chief of the Thembu people, a subgroup of the Xhosa people, who make up South Africa’s second-largest cultural group. After defying a British magistrate, Mandela’s father had been stripped of his chieftainship, title, and land. On his first day in a segregated elementary school, Rolihlahla, too, was stripped of his identity when his schoolteacher gave every child an English name—a common practice in a society in which whites “were either unable or unwilling to pronounce an African name, and considered it uncivilized to have one,” he   wrote in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom .

While Mandela’s skin relegated him to the lowest social order in segregated South Africa, his royal blood—and connections—gave him access to the country’s only university for Black people, the University of Fort Hare. There, he became an activist, and was expelled for protesting the student government’s lack of power. He returned home to his small village on the eastern Cape only to find that his family wanted him to enter an arranged marriage to punish him for leaving school. So he fled north to Soweto, South Africa’s largest Black city, in 1941.

Apartheid and activism

In Soweto, Mandela became a part-time law student at Wits University and began to practice law, starting the nation’s first Black law firm. He joined the   African National Congress , a group that agitated for the civil rights of Black South Africans. In 1948, the segregation that was already rampant in South Africa became state law when its ruling party formally adopted apartheid , or apartness. This policy required Black South Africans to carry identification with them at all times, which they needed to enter areas designated for whites. They were forced to live in all-Black zones and forbidden from entering into interracial relationships. Black people were even removed from the voter rolls and eventually fully disenfranchised.

At first, Mandela and his fellow members of the ANC used nonviolent tactics like strikes and demonstrations to protest apartheid. In 1952, Mandela helped escalate the struggle as a leader of the Defiance Campaign, which encouraged Black participants to actively violate laws. More than 8,000 people —including Mandela—were jailed for violating curfews, refusing to carry identification passes, and other offenses.  

( See pictures from the life and times of Mandela. )

Protesters gather in front of a courthouse in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1956 treason trial of anti-apartheid activists, among them Nelson Mandela. The defendants were found not guilty, but some—including Mandela—were later convicted on a separate charge in 1964.

The Defiance Campaign catapulted the ANC’s agenda, and Mandela, into the public eye as they continued to agitate for Black rights. After serving his sentence, Mandela continued to lead protests against the government and, in 1956, he, along with 155 others, was tried for treason . He was acquitted in 1961 and lived in hiding for 17 months after the trial.

Over time, Mandela came to believe that armed resistance was the only way to end apartheid. In 1962, he briefly left the country to receive military training and gain support for the cause but was arrested and convicted soon after his return for leaving the country without a permit. Then, while he was in prison, police discovered documents related to Mandela’s plan for guerrilla warfare. They charged him and his allies with sabotage.

Mandela and the other defendants in the ensuing   Rivonia Trial knew they were sure to be convicted and executed. So they turned their show trial into a statement, publicizing their anti-apartheid struggle and challenging the legal system that oppressed Black South Africans. When it was Mandela’s turn to speak for the defense, he delivered a   four-hour-long speech .

“The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the policy of white supremacy,” he said. “Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.” Mandela was committed to the ideal of a free society, he said, and “if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

You May Also Like

How chronic stress and racial trauma are related

Why are U.S. presidents allowed to pardon anyone—even for treason?

Before the Great Migration, there was the Great Exodus. Here's what happened.

Prison years.

Mandela wasn’t put to death—but, in 1964, he was sentenced to life in prison. He was   allowed only one 30-minute visit with a single person every year, and could send and receive two letters a year. Confined in austere conditions, he worked in a limestone quarry and over time, earned the   respect of his captors and fellow prisoners. He was given chances to leave prison in exchange for ensuring the ANC would give up violence but refused.

Over his 27 years of imprisonment, Mandela became the world’s best-known political prisoner. His words were banned in South Africa, but he was already the country’s most famous man. His supporters agitated for his release and news of his imprisonment galvanized anti-apartheid activists all over the world.

In the 1960s, some members of the United Nations began to call for sanctions against South Africa—calls that grew louder in the decades that followed. Eventually, South Africa became an international pariah. In 1990, in response to international pressure and the threat of civil war, South Africa’s new president, F.W. de Klerk, pledged to end apartheid and released Mandela from prison.

Nelson Mandela and wife, Winnie, raise their fists upon his release from Victor Verster prison in South Africa. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his fight against apartheid. Upon his release, he negotiated an end to the racist policy and was elected president of South Africa.

Apartheid did not immediately end with Mandela’s release. Now 71, Mandela negotiated with de Klerk for a new constitution that would allow majority rule. Apartheid was repealed in 1991, and in 1994, the ANC, now a political party, won more than 62 percent of the popular vote in a peaceful, democratic election. Mandela—who now shares   a Nobel Peace Prize with de Klerk—became the president of a new nation, South Africa.  

( Here's how South Africa has changed since the end of apartheid. )

Post-apartheid leadership

Mandela served as president for five years. Among his accomplishments was South Africa’s   Truth and Reconciliation Commission , designed to document human rights violations and help victims and violators come to term with their past. Though its results are contested, the commission offered the beginnings of restorative justice—a process that focuses on repair rather than retribution— to a nation still smarting from centuries of scars.

Mandela’s legacy wasn’t unassailable: He was considered by some analysts a largely ineffective president and was criticized for his handling of violence and the economy while in office.

After leaving office in 1999, Mandela spent the remainder of his life working to end poverty and raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. He died in 2013 at age 95.

Every year on July 18, he is   remembered on Nelson Mandela International Day, a United Nations holiday that commemorates his service and sacrifice. It’s a reminder that Mandela’s work is not yet done—an opinion shared by Mandela himself.  

( Even in the U.S., Mandela is a symbol of hope. )

“To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others,” he   wrote in his autobiography. “The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning.”

Related Topics

She designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding gown—so why was she kept a secret?

MLK and Malcolm X only met once. Here’s the story behind an iconic image.

The Olympics chose Tahiti for its famous waves—but some surfers aren't happy about it

Americans have hated tipping almost as long as they’ve practiced it

Why the 1876 election was the most divisive in U.S. history

• Environment
• Paid Content

History & Culture

• History & Culture
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

Short Essay & Paragraph On Nelson Mandela For Students

Nelson Mandela was an important leader in South Africa who fought against apartheid. Apartheid was a system that kept non-white people separate from white people. He was born on July 18, 1918, in Umtata, South Africa. Let’s learn more about this remarkable man and his achievements.

Table of Contents

Essay About Nelson Mandela – A Hero of Equality

Education and activism.

Mandela went to school and college at the College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand. There, he studied law and met other people who wanted to fight against apartheid. He became a leader in the African National Congress (ANC) and followed Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence approach. But when peaceful protests didn’t work, he started a branch of the ANC that used force to resist apartheid. The South African government called him a terrorist, and he was sent to prison for almost 30 years.

Legacy and Presidency

After his release from prison, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. He worked hard to improve the lives of black people in the country. He wrote a book called “Long Walk to Freedom” that tells about his struggles and fight for equality. Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated on his birthday, July 18. On this day, people all around the world honor him by helping their communities and making the world a better place.

The Significance of Nelson Mandela Day

Nelson Mandela Day is a special day to remember the great work of Nelson Mandela. People celebrate this day by doing good deeds and acts of kindness for others. They volunteer to help those in need, clean up their neighborhoods, and spread love and hope just like Mandela did.

Apartheid and its Impact

Apartheid was a very unfair system in South Africa. It separated people based on their race, treating non-white citizens unfairly. They couldn’t use the same facilities as white people and had fewer rights. It caused a lot of suffering and division in the country.

Major Accomplishments as President

As South Africa’s president, Mandela worked to unite the country and end apartheid. He created programs to improve housing, education, and healthcare for black people. He also helped South Africa become a democratic country where everyone could vote and have equal rights.

What is apartheid and how did it affect South Africa?

Apartheid was a system of racial segregation that discriminated against non-white people in South Africa. It caused immense suffering and division among the people.

What were some of Nelson Mandela’s major accomplishments as president of South Africa?

As president, Mandela worked to unite the country, end apartheid, and improve the living conditions of black people. He made South Africa a democratic nation with equal rights for all.

What is the significance of Nelson Mandela Day and how is it celebrated?

Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated on July 18th to honor his legacy. People celebrate by doing good deeds and helping others in their communities, spreading love and hope, just like Mandela did.

Nelson Mandela was a true hero who fought against injustice and inequality in South Africa. He spent many years in prison but never gave up on his dream of a united and fair nation. His legacy lives on through Nelson Mandela Day, where people come together to make the world a better place, just as he did.

Hello! Welcome to my Blog StudyParagraphs.co. My name is Angelina. I am a college professor. I love reading writing for kids students. This blog is full with valuable knowledge for all class students. Thank you for reading my articles.

Related Posts:

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• History Classics
• Your Profile
• Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
• Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
• This Day In History
• History Podcasts
• History Vault

Nelson Mandela

By: History.com Editors

Updated: March 29, 2023 | Original: November 9, 2009

The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s, he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first Black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government to oversee the country’s transition. After retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own nation and around the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95.

Nelson Mandela’s Childhood and Education

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, into a royal family of the Xhosa-speaking Thembu tribe in the South African village of Mvezo, where his father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa (c. 1880-1928), served as chief. His mother, Nosekeni Fanny, was the third of Mphakanyiswa’s four wives, who together bore him nine daughters and four sons. After the death of his father in 1927, 9-year-old Mandela—then known by his birth name, Rolihlahla—was adopted by Jongintaba Dalindyebo, a high-ranking Thembu regent who began grooming his young ward for a role within the tribal leadership.

Did you know? As a sign of respect, many South Africans referred to Nelson Mandela as Madiba, his Xhosa clan name.

The first in his family to receive a formal education, Mandela completed his primary studies at a local missionary school. There, a teacher dubbed him Nelson as part of a common practice of giving African students English names. He went on to attend the Clarkebury Boarding Institute and Healdtown, a Methodist secondary school, where he excelled in boxing and track as well as academics. In 1939 Mandela entered the elite University of Fort Hare, the only Western-style higher learning institute for Black South Africans at the time. The following year, he and several other students, including his friend and future business partner Oliver Tambo (1917-1993), were sent home for participating in a boycott against university policies.

After learning that his guardian had arranged a marriage for him, Mandela fled to Johannesburg and worked first as a night watchman and then as a law clerk while completing his bachelor’s degree by correspondence. He studied law at the University of Witwatersrand, where he became involved in the movement against racial discrimination and forged key relationships with Black and white activists. In 1944, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC) and worked with fellow party members, including Oliver Tambo, to establish its youth league, the ANCYL. That same year, he met and married his first wife, Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1922-2004), with whom he had four children before their divorce in 1957.

Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress

Nelson Mandela’s commitment to politics and the ANC grew stronger after the 1948 election victory of the Afrikaner-dominated National Party, which introduced a formal system of racial classification and segregation—apartheid—that restricted nonwhites’ basic rights and barred them from government while maintaining white minority rule. The following year, the ANC adopted the ANCYL’s plan to achieve full citizenship for all South Africans through boycotts, strikes, civil disobedience and other nonviolent methods. Mandela helped lead the ANC’s 1952 Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws, traveling across the country to organize protests against discriminatory policies, and promoted the manifesto known as the Freedom Charter, ratified by the Congress of the People in 1955. Also in 1952, Mandela and Tambo opened South Africa’s first Black law firm, which offered free or low-cost legal counsel to those affected by apartheid legislation.

On December 5, 1956, Mandela and 155 other activists were arrested and went on trial for treason. All of the defendants were acquitted in 1961, but in the meantime tensions within the ANC escalated, with a militant faction splitting off in 1959 to form the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). The next year, police opened fire on peaceful Black protesters in the township of Sharpeville, killing 69 people; as panic, anger and riots swept the country in the massacre’s aftermath, the apartheid government banned both the ANC and the PAC. Forced to go underground and wear disguises to evade detection, Mandela decided that the time had come for a more radical approach than passive resistance.

Nelson Mandela and the Armed Resistance Movement

In 1961, Nelson Mandela co-founded and became the first leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”), also known as MK, a new armed wing of the ANC. Several years later, during the trial that would put him behind bars for nearly three decades, he described the reasoning for this radical departure from his party’s original tenets: “[I]t would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and nonviolence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle.”

Under Mandela’s leadership, MK launched a sabotage campaign against the government, which had recently declared South Africa a republic and withdrawn from the British Commonwealth. In January 1962, Mandela traveled abroad illegally to attend a conference of African nationalist leaders in Ethiopia, visit the exiled Oliver Tambo in London and undergo guerilla training in Algeria. On August 5, shortly after his return, he was arrested and subsequently sentenced to five years in prison for leaving the country and inciting a 1961 workers’ strike. The following July, police raided an ANC hideout in Rivonia, a suburb on the outskirts of Johannesburg, and arrested a racially diverse group of MK leaders who had gathered to debate the merits of a guerilla insurgency. Evidence was found implicating Mandela and other activists, who were brought to stand trial for sabotage, treason and violent conspiracy alongside their associates.

Mandela and seven other defendants narrowly escaped the gallows and were instead sentenced to life imprisonment during the so-called Rivonia Trial, which lasted eight months and attracted substantial international attention. In a stirring opening statement that sealed his iconic status around the world, Mandela admitted to some of the charges against him while defending the ANC’s actions and denouncing the injustices of apartheid. He ended with the following words: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Nelson Mandela’s Years Behind Bars

Nelson Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail at the brutal Robben Island Prison, a former leper colony off the coast of Cape Town, where he was confined to a small cell without a bed or plumbing and compelled to do hard labor in a lime quarry. As a Black political prisoner, he received scantier rations and fewer privileges than other inmates. He was only allowed to see his wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1936-), who he had married in 1958 and was the mother of his two young daughters, once every six months. Mandela and his fellow prisoners were routinely subjected to inhumane punishments for the slightest of offenses; among other atrocities, there were reports of guards burying inmates in the ground up to their necks and urinating on them.

These restrictions and conditions notwithstanding, while in confinement Mandela earned a bachelor of law degree from the University of London and served as a mentor to his fellow prisoners, encouraging them to seek better treatment through nonviolent resistance. He also smuggled out political statements and a draft of his autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom,” published five years after his release.

Despite his forced retreat from the spotlight, Mandela remained the symbolic leader of the antiapartheid movement. In 1980 Oliver Tambo introduced a “Free Nelson Mandela” campaign that made the jailed leader a household name and fueled the growing international outcry against South Africa’s racist regime. As pressure mounted, the government offered Mandela his freedom in exchange for various political compromises, including the renouncement of violence and recognition of the “independent” Transkei Bantustan, but he categorically rejected these deals.

In 1982 Mandela was moved to Pollsmoor Prison on the mainland, and in 1988 he was placed under house arrest on the grounds of a minimum-security correctional facility. The following year, newly elected president F. W. de Klerk (1936-) lifted the ban on the ANC and called for a nonracist South Africa, breaking with the conservatives in his party. On February 11, 1990, he ordered Mandela’s release.

Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa

After attaining his freedom, Nelson Mandela led the ANC in its negotiations with the governing National Party and various other South African political organizations for an end to apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial government. Though fraught with tension and conducted against a backdrop of political instability, the talks earned Mandela and de Klerk the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1993. On April 26, 1994, more than 22 million South Africans turned out to cast ballots in the country’s first multiracial parliamentary elections in history. An overwhelming majority chose the ANC to lead the country, and on May 10 Mandela was sworn in as the first Black president of South Africa, with de Klerk serving as his first deputy.

As president, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights and political violations committed by both supporters and opponents of apartheid between 1960 and 1994. He also introduced numerous social and economic programs designed to improve the living standards of South Africa’s Black population. In 1996 Mandela presided over the enactment of a new South African constitution, which established a strong central government based on majority rule and prohibited discrimination against minorities, including whites.

Improving race relations, discouraging Blacks from retaliating against the white minority and building a new international image of a united South Africa were central to President Mandela’s agenda. To these ends, he formed a multiracial “Government of National Unity” and proclaimed the country a “rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.” In a gesture seen as a major step toward reconciliation, he encouraged Blacks and whites alike to rally around the predominantly Afrikaner national rugby team when South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

On his 80th birthday in 1998, Mandela wed the politician and humanitarian Graça Machel (1945-), widow of the former president of Mozambique. (His marriage to Winnie had ended in divorce in 1992.) The following year, he retired from politics at the end of his first term as president and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki (1942-) of the ANC.

Nelson Mandela’s Later Years and Legacy

After leaving office, Nelson Mandela remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own country and around the world. He established a number of organizations, including the influential Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Elders, an independent group of public figures committed to addressing global problems and easing human suffering. In 2002, Mandela became a vocal advocate of AIDS awareness and treatment programs in a culture where the epidemic had been cloaked in stigma and ignorance. The disease later claimed the life of his son Makgatho (1950-2005) and is believed to affect more people in South Africa than in any other country.

Treated for prostate cancer in 2001 and weakened by other health issues, Mandela grew increasingly frail in his later years and scaled back his schedule of public appearances. In 2009, the United Nations declared July 18 “Nelson Mandela International Day” in recognition of the South African leader’s contributions to democracy, freedom, peace and human rights around the world. Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection.

HISTORY Vault: Black History

Watch acclaimed Black History documentaries on HISTORY Vault.

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction & Top Questions

Early life and work

Underground activity and the rivonia trial.

• Incarceration
• Presidency and retirement

When and where was Nelson Mandela born?

When did nelson mandela die, what is nelson mandela known for, to whom was nelson mandela married, what publications did nelson mandela write.

Nelson Mandela

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Official Site of the Nelson Mandela Foundation
• The Elders - Nelson Mandela
• South African History Online - Biography of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
• The Nobel Prize - Biography of Nelson Mandela
• Nelson Mandela - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Nelson Mandela - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, also known as Madiba, was born Rolihlahla Mandela on July 18, 1918, in Mvezo, South Africa; the name Nelson was later added by one of his teachers. His father, the chief of the Madiba clan of the Xhosa -speaking Tembu people, died when Nelson was still young, and he was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Although Nelson had a claim to the chieftainship, he renounced it in order to become a lawyer.

Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013, in Johannesburg . He was 95 years old. After his death was announced, his life was remembered and celebrated in South Africa as well as around the world. Numerous memorial services were held, including one by the South African government on December 10. He was laid to rest at Qunu, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, on December 15.

Nelson Mandela is known for several things, but perhaps he is best known for successfully leading the resistance to South Africa’s policy of apartheid in the 20th century, during which he was infamously incarcerated at Robben Island Prison (1964–82). He won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993, along with South Africa’s president at the time, F.W. de Klerk , for having led the transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. Mandela is also known for being the first black president of South Africa, serving from 1994 to 1999.

Nelson Mandela had three wives: Evelyn Ntoko Mase (1944–58); Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1958–96), who was also a noteworthy anti- apartheid champion; and Graça Machel (1998–2013), who was the widow of Samora Machel , former president of Mozambique (1975–86), and was Mandela’s wife at the time of his death in 2013.

Nelson Mandela’s writings included I Am Prepared to Die (1964; rev. ed. 1986); No Easy Walk to Freedom (1965; updated ed. 2002); The Struggle Is My Life (1978; rev. ed. 1990); In His Own Words (2003); and Long Walk to Freedom (1994), which chronicles his early life and years in prison. Dare Not Linger: The Presidential Years (2017), released posthumously, is the unfinished draft of his second volume of memoirs; it was completed by Mandla Langa.

Recent News

Nelson Mandela (born July 18, 1918, Mvezo, South Africa—died December 5, 2013, Johannesburg) was a Black nationalist and the first Black president of South Africa (1994–99). His negotiations in the early 1990s with South African Pres. F.W. de Klerk helped end the country’s apartheid system of racial segregation and ushered in a peaceful transition to majority rule. Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1993 for their efforts.

Nelson Mandela was the son of Chief Henry Mandela of the Madiba clan of the Xhosa-speaking Tembu people. After his father’s death, young Nelson was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu. Nelson renounced his claim to the chieftainship to become a lawyer. He attended South African Native College (later the University of Fort Hare) and studied law at the University of the Witwatersrand; he later passed the qualification exam to become a lawyer. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC), a Black-liberation group, and became a leader of its Youth League. That same year he met and married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Mandela subsequently held other ANC leadership positions, through which he helped revitalize the organization and oppose the apartheid policies of the ruling National Party .

In 1952 in Johannesburg , with fellow ANC leader Oliver Tambo , Mandela established South Africa’s first Black law practice, specializing in cases resulting from the post-1948 apartheid legislation. Also that year, Mandela played an important role in launching a campaign of defiance against South Africa’s pass laws, which required nonwhites to carry documents (known as passes, pass books, or reference books) authorizing their presence in areas that the government deemed “restricted” (i.e., generally reserved for the white population). He traveled throughout the country as part of the campaign, trying to build support for nonviolent means of protest against the discriminatory laws. In 1955 he was involved in drafting the Freedom Charter , a document calling for nonracial social democracy in South Africa.

Mandela’s antiapartheid activism made him a frequent target of the authorities. Starting in 1952, he was intermittently banned (severely restricted in travel, association, and speech). In December 1956 he was arrested with more than 100 other people on charges of treason that were designed to harass antiapartheid activists. Mandela went on trial that same year and eventually was acquitted in 1961. During the extended court proceedings, he divorced his first wife and married Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela ( Winnie Madikizela-Mandela ).

After the massacre of unarmed Black South Africans by police forces at Sharpeville in 1960 and the subsequent banning of the ANC, Mandela abandoned his nonviolent stance and began advocating acts of sabotage against the South African regime. He went underground (during which time he became known as the Black Pimpernel for his ability to evade capture) and was one of the founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe (“Spear of the Nation”), the military wing of the ANC. In 1962 he went to Algeria for training in guerrilla warfare and sabotage, returning to South Africa later that year. On August 5, shortly after his return, Mandela was arrested at a road block in Natal ; he was subsequently sentenced to five years in prison.

In October 1963 the imprisoned Mandela and several other men were tried for sabotage, treason, and violent conspiracy in the infamous Rivonia Trial, named after a fashionable suburb of Johannesburg where raiding police had discovered quantities of arms and equipment at the headquarters of the underground Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela’s speech from the dock, in which he admitted the truth of some of the charges made against him, was a classic defense of liberty and defiance of tyranny . (His speech garnered international attention and acclaim and was published later that year as I Am Prepared to Die .) On June 12, 1964, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, narrowly escaping the death penalty .

Call for ‘dignity, equality, justice and human rights’ rings out on Mandela Day 

Facebook Twitter Print Email

Nelson Mandela International Day is an opportunity to reflect on the life and legacy of “a legendary global advocate for dignity, equality, justice and human rights”, the UN chief said on Sunday.  

“Each year, on this day, Nelson’s Mandela’s birthday, we pay tribute to this extraordinary man who embodied the highest aspirations of the United Nations and the human family”,  Secretary-General António Guterres  said in his message commemorating the 18 July celebration of South Africa’s first Black head of State.  

Message true today 

Affectionately known as Madiba, his calls for solidarity and an end to racism are particularly relevant today, as social cohesion around the world is under threat of division.  

With hate speech on the rise and misinformation blurring the truth, questioning science and undermining democratic institutions, societies are becoming more polarized, said the UN chief.  

And the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has not only made these ills more acute but also rolled back years of progress in the global fight against poverty.  

“As always in times of crises, it is the marginalized and discriminated against who suffer the most, often while being blamed for problems they did not cause”, said Mr. Guterres.  

COVID factor 

The pandemic has shown the “vital importance of human solidarity and unity”, values championed and exemplified by Nelson Mandela in his lifelong fight for justice, added the UN chief.  

Noting that no one is safe until all are safe, he said everyone can play their part. 

Urging the world to honour Mr. Mandela’s call to action and be empowered by his legacy, the Secretary-General, said: “Let us be inspired by Madiba’s message that each of us can make a difference in promoting peace, human rights, harmony with nature and dignity for all”. 

Mandela Rules 

In 2015, the General Assembly extended the scope of Nelson Mandela Day to promote humane conditions of imprisonment, raise awareness about the need to ensure prisoners remain part of society, and to value the work of prison staff as a social service of particular importance. 

Through it resolution  A/RES/70/175  the Assembly not only adopted the revised UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, but also approved that they should be known as the " Nelson Mandela Rules " to honour the legacy of the late President of South Africa, who spent 27 years in prison in the course of his struggle. 

• Mandela International Day
• Nelson Mandela Rules

Nelson Mandela Foundation

• Mandela Day

Advanced search

Make every day a Mandela Day

March 28, 2011 – Today saw the official launch of Nelson Mandela International Day for 2011. Mandela Day, under the theme “change”, is a call to action for people everywhere to take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mr Mandela did.

Achmat Dangor, Nelson Mandela Foundation Chief Executive addressed the audience of media; partners and stakeholders; Irene Menell, a trustee of the Foundation; learners and popular South African radio personality Jeremy Mansfield and television star Jack Devnarain.

“I recall Mr Mandela’s 90th birthday concert, which was held in Hyde Park in 2008, was branded with a 46664 concert slogan – ‘It’s in our hands’.  Mr Mandela deliberately altered the slogan to ‘It’s in your hands’. He clearly indicated his intention to share the point of leadership and responsibility among many,” said Dangor.

The following year the first Mandela Day was held on Mr Mandela’s birthday July 18 and in November 2009 it was declared Nelson Mandela International day by the United Nations.  Last year it was marked by acts of goodwill in communities throughout the world.

Dangor said it remains the work of the Nelson Mandela Foundation to affect change with and within communities, empowering them to change the world around them for the better.  Introducing “Mandela Mondays”, he said: “Each Monday, give a small amount of your time, wherever you can, to spreading the message that change is in your hands.”

Through “Mandela Mondays” the Foundation is inviting people everywhere to spend as little as five minutes doing something good – something that will change someone’s life, community or environment for the better.

Helene Hoedl, Deputy Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Pretoria, said Mr Mandela lived his values and added that the UN supports the Foundation’s commitment to make everyday a Mandela Day.

“We declared Nelson Mandela Day an International Day in recognition of his ongoing struggle and outstanding contribution to growing a democratic South Africa and elsewhere on the continent,” she said.

Sello Hatang, the Foundation’s Information Communication Manager introduced a panel of learners who he asked to speak about their experiences of Nelson Mandela Day.

Moshe, a Grade 11 pupil, said: “Madiba is an international icon for peace. He always looked to the future.”

Tarryn, a Grade 7 pupil, said: “After 27 years, he came out of jail in peace. He didn’t want to fight.”

Mano, a Grade 7 pupil, said: “Mandela believes in and promotes unity in diversity. He is forgive and forget-minded.”

When asked why Mandela Day is so important, the learners responded:

“Mandela Day is a gateway from thought into action. It gives us the opportunity to do good, and act,” said Moshe.

“It’s a chance for us to give back,” said Tarryn.

“It’s the day we celebrate the life of a national treasure,” said Richard, a Grade 11 learner.

After sharing with the audience what they did on Mandela Day last year, the panel divulged their plans for Mandela Day 2011:

“I’ll do something to change the world”, said Moshe.

“I’ll use my social network to grow Mandela Day,” said Mano.

“I’ll visit an old age home in White City, in Soweto, and help clean up and grow veggies,” said Richard.

“It all starts with the choices you make,” said Fatima. “I am not my circumstances, I am my possibilities.”

The overarching message from the group of learners was that people should ask themselves how they could make the world a better place.

Hatang then introduced key events for Mandela Day 2011:

• A university students’ panel on 23 May, where students will discuss what Mandela Day means to them, and

• A “public figures” panel announcing their intentions for Mandela Day on 20 June.

Click here to download the 2011 Nelson Mandela International Day fact sheet.

Click here for 67 ways to observe Nelson Mandela International Day.

Key dates and events will be posted on the Centre Of Memory Twitter page and The Centre of Memory Facebook page .

In closing, the Foundation’s Mandela Day manager Frank Meintjies encouraged the audience to spread the word and to make every day a Mandela Day.

Nelson Mandela International Day 18 July

A UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and 1991 Laureate of the Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize, Nelson Mandela’s legacy resonates with the mission of UNESCO, to empower all women and men on the basis of their equal rights and dignity, to promote dialogue and solidarity for justice and lasting peace. This action, this spirit has never been so important.  

This is a moment for all to renew with the values that inspired Nelson Mandela. Absolute determination. A deep commitment to justice, human rights and fundamental freedoms. A profound belief in the equality and dignity of every woman and man. A relentless engagement for dialogue and solidarity across all lines and divisions. Nelson Mandela was a great statesman, a fierce advocate for equality, the founding father of peace in South Africa.

In times of turbulence, Nelson Mandela shows us the power of resisting oppression, of justice over inequality, of dignity over humiliation, of forgiveness over hatred. As the world takes forward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and strives to overcome new sources of adversity, let us recall the lessons of Nelson Mandela’s life, and the essential humanism that guided him: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” 

I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die

Related items

• Priority Africa
• Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for Peace
• Racism: Free Nelson Mandela, brave advocate of the rights of man

More on this subject

Other recent stories

Home — Essay Samples — History — Apartheid — The Role Of Nelson Mandela In The Fight Against Apartheid

The Role of Nelson Mandela in The Fight Against Apartheid

• Categories: Activism Apartheid Nelson Mandela

About this sample

Words: 964 |

Published: May 14, 2021

Words: 964 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Government & Politics History

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

2 pages / 930 words

6 pages / 2628 words

2 pages / 830 words

2 pages / 939 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Apartheid

If it accepted that one's vision of the future is shaped by an interpretation of the present and past, then any discussion of the conditions of post-apartheid South Africa requires a thorough understanding of apartheid. An [...]

In one way or another every one of us is a victim of the most untransformed policy in this university. To those of you who deny this, comparing to other universities, how diverse is our student body? What about staff diversity? [...]

China has been putting emphasis on the co-operative nature of The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its objective "win-win outcomes." In his address to the Belt and Road Forum for International Co-operation in Beijing in May [...]

Eastern Market, demonstrates the collision and merger of cultures, similar to how cultures once interacted along the Silk Road. In both cases long established market places have brought people from across world together in a [...]

The concept of death with dignity has been a topic of considerable debate in contemporary society. Some view it as an opportunity to end unbearable suffering, while others, echoing the sentiments of Mother Teresa, argue that it [...]

Progressivism started off as a political movement with beliefs in government intervention. Progressives wanted to protect people’s rights against corruption and to fight against the effects of industrialisation. They appealed [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

Talk to our experts

1800-120-456-456

• English Essay on Nelson Mandela

An Essay on Nelson Mandela is Available at Vedantu

The best analogy that can be given for Nelson Mandela to the Indian students is, Nelson Mandela was to Africa what Mahatma Gandhi was to India. Because Nelson Mandela did the same thing for Africa, As Mahatma Gandhi did for India. Nelson Mandela made the same sacrifices for Africa, as Mahatma Gandhi Made for India. Nelson Mandela believed in the same ideals and virtues as that of Mahatma Gandhi, which is to say Non-violence and truth, and for all his life he walked on the same path.

An Introduction

There was a time when facilities were divided among people on the basis of their skin colour. From the seat reservations in public transport to any other public facilities, everywhere, whites used to get better facilities whereas dark-skinned people, the blacks, got the worst services. White supremacy existed in every country under British colonialism. In some countries, racial discrimination was found on a larger scale whereas in others on a smaller scale. However, in South Africa, it became worse. 

Three-fourths of the total population were black people there. The country's economy used to run on the strength of their hard work, but all the good facilities were available to the whites. Although racial discrimination was there in South Africa for a long time, the National Party government made a rule in 1948 that blacks and whites would live in different places and the public facilities were divided according to their skin colours. Since good always triumphs over evil, the struggles of Nelson Mandela put an end to the rules of racial discrimination, after which everyone started getting equal facilities. It was not so easy. Nelson Mandela had to spend 28 years of his life in prison. Mandela was a man who followed Gandhi's path. He did this without taking up arms, without any bloodshed.

A Brief Background of Africa During the Time of Nelson Mandela.

Africa is not in any sense a stranger from the racial discrimination, exploitation, and horrors of British colonialism. Though many countries of Asia, such as India have faced all these problems, it, unfortunately, took a rather devastating form in Africa. The humans were divided by their skin colour, the fair one gets the reservations in all the public facilities and were considered high-class people, while the black was always looked down upon. Only because of their skin colour were they not the same as their fair counterparts. And these were the times in which Nelson Mandela was born.

A history of Nelson Mandela

It was the 18th of July 1918 when Rohlihala (Nelson) Mandela was born in the small village located on the banks of Mbashe River in South Africa, to mother Nosakeni and father Gadla henry. The name Rohilihala literally means ``Mischievous”, but his school teacher Miss Mdingane gave him the English name “Nelson'' because it was the custom during those times in Africa to give English names, and hence Rohilihala became “Nelson Mandela''. Nelson Mandela attended the Clark Barry Missionary school for his early schooling.

When Nelson Mandela was just 12 years old, an unfortunate thing happened in the form of the death of his father Gadla Henry. But Nelson Mandela’s family took so much care of him and never let the absence of the father affect the 12-year-old boy. Nelson Mandela was the only member of his family to attend the school, and hence his whole family supported him in all the aspects of his school.

He graduated from the Methodist Healdtown college, which was a college built especially for black people. This was the time when he had started his fight against injustice and inequality of racial discrimination. And here in this college, he met a man by the name of Olive Tambo, a relation with whom transformed into a lifelong friendship. Nelson Mandela always had full-fledged support of Oliver Tambo in his struggle against Apartheid, meaning apartness.

Apartheid was the policy in South Africa that governed the relations between the Whites, who were the minority, and the Black, who were the majority, in the latter half of the last century, that is to say, the 20th century. In the name of governance, all the Apartheid did was racial segregation and economic discrimination against the blacks. Nelson Mandela fought bravely against the Apartheid during his lifetime.

Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in the village of Mvezo, South Africa. His mother's name was Nosakeni and his father's name was Gadla Henry. Earlier, Nelson Mandela was named Rohlihala by his parents, which means mischievous, but his school teacher changed his name to Nelson. Nelson Mandela did his early studies at Clark Barry Missionary School. Nelson Mandela was just 12 years old when his father died, but his family never let the absence of his father affect his life. His family continued to help him in every way for higher studies since Nelson was the only member of the whole family who went to school. 

He graduated from Healdtown College. Healdtown was a college specially built for black people. In this college, Nelson Mandela met a friend and remained friends with him throughout his life and always supported him in his struggle against Apartheid. Right from the days of college, he started the fight against racial discrimination and started gathering people, due to which he was expelled from college. In 1944, he joined the African National Congress, in which he had started the movement against racial discrimination. In 1947, he was elected as a  secretary of that party. Later many people joined him and strived towards their goal but in 1961, a case of treason was filed against Mandela and he was imprisoned along with some of his friends. Though he was later found innocent and was released, yet, again on 5th August 1962, he was arrested on charges of inciting the workers to go on strike. On 12th July 1964, after trials for almost 2 years, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. He was sent to the most strictly guarded jail for imprisonment but even after that, his courage never diminished. He also started sharing his opinions with the black prisoners in jail. On the other hand, his party also tried its best to get him released but failed. Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 28 years. Finally, in 1989, the government changed in South Africa and the liberal leader F. W. Clarke became the President of the country. Considering the struggle of Nelson and his party, he ordered the removal of all restrictions on black people and decided to release all the prisoners who were imprisoned without any serious charges.

A Quick Outline of Nelson Mandela’s Life from 1940 onwards.

1944 = joined the national congress of Africa.

1947 = elected as a secretary of the African national congress.

1961 = A case of treason was filed against him, and he was imprisoned along with his friends.

1962 = he was found innocent and was released from prison. But was again on 5th August of the same year on other charges.

1964 = sentenced to life imprisonment, and remained imprisoned for 28 years.

1989 = a government was changed, and Nelson Mandela was released, the following year.

1990 = Mandela was awarded a Bharat Ratna.

1993 = He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1994 = Became the first president of the country

5 Dec 2013 = Passed away at the age of 95.

Nelson Mandela’s Struggles of Life

On February 1, 1990, Mandela was released from prison. In the Presidential election of South Africa that was held in 1994, black people could also participate. Mandela participated in this election and his party African National Congress formed the government with a majority. On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first President of his country and made all rights equal for the whites and the blacks. Nelson Mandela, much like Mahatma Gandhi, followed a non-violent path, he considered Mahatma Gandhi as his inspiration. 

Nelson Mandela was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the most prestigious award of India, in 1990. He was the second foreigner to be given this award after Mother Teresa, who was awarded in 1980. In 1993, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Prize for world peace, for the struggle against Apartheid throughout his life, and to empower the blacks in South Africa. On December 5, 2013, Nelson Mandela passed away, at the age of 95. He says that “When a person considers the service of his country and people as his duty, he gets peace in doing that work. I think I have tried that and that is why I can sleep peacefully till the end.”

 Conclusion

Nelson Mandela, much like Mahatma Gandhi, advocated a nonviolent path, he considered Gandhi as his source of inspiration. For this reason, he is also called African Gandhi. Nelson Mandela has also been awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's biggest award in 1990.

FAQs on English Essay on Nelson Mandela

1. Who is Nelson Mandela?

Nelson Mandela raised his voice against racial discrimination in South Africa. He spent 28 years of his life in prison as a part of his struggle to put an end to racial discrimination in South Africa. After this, blacks and whites were entitled to equal rights, and they enjoyed equal public facilities.

2. Name Nelson Mandela’s Publication?

Some of Nelson Mandela’s publications are as follows.

No Easy Walk to Freedom

The Struggle is my Life

In His Own Words

I am Prepared to Die

Long Walk To Freedom

3. What Did Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi Have in Common?

Nelson Mandela, much like Mahatma Gandhi, advocated a nonviolent path, he considered Gandhi as his source of inspiration. He struggled for years against white supremacy without any armed movements and bloodshed.

4. What are the lessons that can be learned from the life of Nelson Mandela?

There are quite many lessons to be learned from the life of Nelson Mandela:

Keep Working: Nelson Mandela never stopped working towards his aim he always kept on working.

Remain Focused: From the very early stage of his life he was very clear about his aim and he remained focused on it for the rest of his life.

Work for others: Nelson Mandela always worked for others and hence he is immortalized in the memory of our memory. He gave all his life for the selfless work of his country.

5. Why should I use the essay provided by Vedantu, instead of writing my own?

It is always a very good idea to write essays by yourself, but it is also a good idea to have some guidance in doing the same. And hence the essay that Vedantu provides on the life of Nelson Mandela can serve the purpose of a guide to the students. Furthermore, the essay that Vedantu provides is designed from the perspective of the students and that too by the expert teachers. Therefore, it gives a good idea regarding how to approach such an essay elaborately.

6. What are the lessons that can be learned from the life of Nelson Mandela?

7. Why should I use the essay provided by Vedantu, instead of writing my own?

Search the United Nations

• UNAI Principles
• Map of UNAI Members
• List of UNAI Members
• Special Series
• Select UN Events
• UNAI Events
• SDGs Best Practices
• SDGs Guidelines
• SDGs Training Sessions
• SDGs Workshops
• The Why Join Guide
• Tools for Researchers
• Bulletin Board
• Submit the 2024 Activity Report
• Become a Millennium Fellow
• UNAI Voices
• Sustainable Development Goals
• UN Agencies
• UN Information Centres
• Dag Hammarskjöld Library
• UN Stories Archive
• UN Publications
• Internships
• X (Former Twitter)

Nelson Mandela Day, 18 July

Like in previous years, the United Nations Academic Impact is urging everyone to join a call by the Nelson Mandela Foundation to devote on 18 July – the day Nelson Mandela was born – sixty-seven minutes of time to helping others, as a way to mark Nelson Mandela International Day.

In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July Nelson Mandela International Day in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.

UNAI believes that by devoting 67 minutes of their time – one minute for every year of Mr. Mandela’s public service – people can make a small gesture of solidarity with humanity and a step towards a global movement for good.

What can you do in 67 minutes?  Here are some ideas from the Nelson Mandela Foundation:

• Get to know someone from a different cultural background.
• Read to someone who can’t.
• Visit a local home for the blind and open up a new world for someone else.
• Help out at the local animal shelter. Help someone get a job. Put together and print a CV for them, or help them with their interview skills.
• Many terminally ill people have no one to speak to. Take a little time to have a chat and bring some sunshine into their lives.
• Donate a wheelchair or guide dog, to someone in need.
• Buy a few blankets, or grab the ones you no longer need from home and give them to someone in need.

To see all 67 suggestions for action, visit http://www.mandeladay.com/static/join

UNITED NATIONS

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights

TAKE ACTION

• Lazy Person's Guide
• UN Volunteers
• Youth Engagement
• Past Contests and Scholarships
• Request a Speaker
• Visit the UN

NEWS AND MEDIA

• UN News Centre
• Press Releases
• Office of the Spokesperson
• UN in Action
• UN Social Media
• The Essential UN

ISSUES AND CAMPAIGNS

• SDG of the Month
• Observances and Commemorations
• Celebrity Advocates for the UN