Nelson Mandela's Strive for Equality

Nelson Mandela's Strive for Equality

By:

African Canadian Studies 11 B Block

Ms. Reid

April 15th, 2011

The South African Apartheid was one of the country's darkest times, as the whites severely oppressed the blacks in every aspect of life. The apartheid was a display of hatred and racism towards black South Africans; many blacks were stripped of their citizenships, rights, and were discriminated against by the white government. Four million white South Africans owned 87 percent of the land, even though the number of blacks in South Africa overwhelmed the number of whites. Blacks were also assigned to homelands based on their tribal origins, and were obliged to carry papers stating their homeland. Furthermore, blacks were taught in separate school systems which were poorly funded by the government in comparison to the white school systems. The lowest paying jobs in the country were left for the blacks, also running for political office, and voting was forbidden for blacks. There were many movements to stop the apartheid; however they had to be kept somewhat in secret, because those who protested against the apartheid were given house arrest, harassed, and arrested. However one educated young man named Nelson Mandela was not intimidated by the government and faced their oppression with admirable bravery. After becoming a leading anti-apartheid activist, he was constantly harassed by the government, however, he didn't stop there, and he kept resisting the apartheid movement, in hope that one day South Africa will be a country where whites and blacks can live together in peace and equality. Nelson Mandela was a leading figure in the abolition of the apartheid, went to great extremes to peacefully abolish oppression, and he proved to be a man who would change South Africa forever.

Mandela, as a young educated man, fought for equality between all races his country. At the age of 23, he earned a law degree, and started to gain an interest in politics. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC), which had an initiative to mobilize blacks in South Africa to resist oppression (Sadlier, 2009, pg.320). However the initiatives of the ANC dramatically changed when the National Party introduced the apartheid in 1948. The ANC including Mandela would not cooperate with this abuse of their freedom; they attempted to issue boycotts, peaceful protests and other acts of noncompliance. Mandela was elected as the president of the ANC, and soon his determination had influenced many, and the anti-apartheid activists grew in numbers.

Even under watch from the government and constant harassment, Mandela's determination and fearlessness led him to continue his anti-apartheid movement. As Nelson Mandela started to gain fame, the government kept a close eye on him. He was under constant harassment, and was arrested several times, despite protesting peacefully. In 1960, the ANC was banned by the government, and government troops and police led the massacre in Sharpeville, where 69 anti-apartheid activists were killed during a peaceful protest in the streets (Sadlier, 2009, pg.320). Instead of giving up because the ANC was no more, Mandela preached his anti-apartheid cause in secret and in disguise, because those who threatened the government's rules would be arrested. However, after the Sharpeville killings, Mandela started to believe that this war for rights may not be won peacefully. Mandela travelled around Africa to gain more support for the anti-apartheid cause. When he returned to South Africa in 1962 he was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison. While in prison, Mandela was charged with sabotage and attempt to overthrow the government, following this, his sentence was changed to a lifetime in prison. However, he was far from forgotten by his black supporters in South Africa and in other countries where he preached. He was a symbol for the oppressed South Africans, and inspired many to protest the South African apartheid and attempt to put an end to it. The fact that Mandela was jailed shows how badly the black population in South Africa was being treated. Mandela was jailed simply because he was preaching equality between all citizens, and refused to settle for the tyranny which the white government was demonstrating, and the imprisonment of this leading activist, only further enraged the black community.

Mandela was so influential that he was not forgotten by his followers, and he became a man who would revolutionize his country forever. Besides the black population who wouldn't forget imprisoned Mandela