Nelson Mandela

Few people have changed the world as Nelson Mandela has in his lifetime. The South African native has served as an international symbol for tolerance and perseverance for decades. He is most known for his relentless work in opposition of South African apartheid, the racial segregation implemented by law that stripped non-European groups of many of their rights. Born in 1918, Nelson Mandela studied law and eventually served in the African National Congress in Johannesburg, where he began his involvement in anti-colonial politics. A few years later, apartheid became law, and Mandela began his crusade for equality in South Africa. The leader quickly rose in the ranks of his political party and joined several other organisations that fought adamantly against racial segregation. However, Mandela was committed to non-violent acts of opposition. In 1962, he was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy against the government. Nevertheless, he continued to oppose apartheid and was released after 27 years of imprisonment due to an outcry of injustice from the rest of the world. Due to his and others continuous fighting work, apartheid was finally struck down. Upon his release, Nelson Mandela was elected the President of South Africa, leading him to even further into the international spotlight. Under his rule, South Africa rose to being a more united country where all the citizens work together and enjoy the same freedoms and rights. Since then, Mandela has been largely involved in charity work, particularly for The Nelson Mandela Foundation, and he has received the Nobel Peace Prize and U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. For those interested in finding out more, several books on Mandela and South Africa are available online as well as a few movies, such as Invictus, which in part portrays Mandela's struggle to reunite the country.