The Life and Contribution of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a well-known peace activist, but he was better known for his fight for racial equality. He gave speeches and led peaceful protests which would often land him in jail. He was the first in his family to attend school and he definitely used that intelligence to his advantage.

To begin, Mandela, born July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, had quite a large family. Some of that family included five children, three spouses, two siblings, and his parents. Sadly his father died of tuberculosis when Nelson was only nine years old. As he got older he was pushed into marriages. He finally refused an arranged marriage and ran away to Johannesburg.

Also, Nelson didn't only have one occupation, he had many. In his entire life he was a statesman, lawyer, social activist, peace activist, writer, actor, and philanthropist. He was also the first black president of South Africa. He won many awards including a Nobel Peace Prize for his work for racial equality and peace in general.

In addition, Nelson was arrested for high treason and imprisoned for over 25 years. In the prison he was restricted to a 2 meter by 2.5 meter cell with nothing but a bedroll on the floor and a bucket for sanitation purposes. He did hard labor and was only allowed one visitor and one letter every 6 months. He was released on February 2, 1990. He died December 5, 2013.

Finally, Nelson Mandela had quite a large family although he did lose his father. He had very many occupations including peace activist and social activist. Mandela was also imprisoned for 25 years suffering in a very small cell and doing hard labor. As you can see, Nelson Mandela was a well-know man who influenced many, but he also got himself into trouble while trying to help others.