Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is a South African civil rights activist who fought against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Born in 1918 into traditional tribal life, Mandela was exposed at an early age to the stories of the "white people", first forming his views on the apartheid regime. A highly motivated and goal-oriented student in college and university, Mandela puts those attributes to the true test when he joined the African National Congress. For twenty years, Nelson Mandela was a part of the civil rights movements in South Africa. He promoted and lead nonviolent forms of protest as well as armed resistance against the apartheid regime until he was thrown in jail in 1963. He spent 27 years in jail and was released after years of pressure from the global human rights communities and the unrest the activist groups caused in South African. After his release, he continued to fight for equality as the president of the ANC until negotiations were made in 1993. The apartheid rule was destroyed and Nelson Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa in 1994 after a landslide vote. Since ending him term in office in 1999, at the age of 80, Mandela has been a global advocate for human rights and has been awarded over the years for his devotion to and demonstration of peace and social justice.