A brief of Nelson Mandela's life and history.

1. The first president of South Africa

2. OVERVIEW
 Born in 1918 and died in 2013 at the age of 95
 Best known as an activist and the first president of South
Africa & for serving 27 years in prison
 Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993
 Helped bring an end to apartheid and has been a global
advocate for human rights
 He was a civil rights leader & became a symbol for his
people.

3. DEFINE APARTHEID
 According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, apartheid
is a former social system in which black people and
people from other racial groups did not have the same
political and economic rights as white people and were
forced to live separately from the white people.
 AKA the policy of “racial segregation.”

5. EARLY LIFE
 Born on July 18, 1918 into a royal family of Thembu
tribe in the South African village of Mvezo
 His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, served as
chief of the tribe.
 Trained to be a tribal leader
 His birthname is Rolihlahla. He got the nickname
Nelson from a teacher in school.

6. EDUCATION
 The first in his family to receive a formal education.
 Attended the elite University of Fort Hare in 1939
 Studied law at the University of Witwatersrand

7. POLITICAL CAREER
 In 1944, Mandela joined the African National Congress
(ANC).
 Became a leader in ANC in 1948
 At first, he pushed hard for the Congress & the protesters
to follow Mohandas Gandhi’s non-violence approach
(passive resistance).
 However, this approach did not work so he used a more
radical approach.
 Soft power + hard power = smart power

8.  “It 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.”

9. PRISON YEARS
 He was classified as a
terrorist by the South
African government
and sent to prison for
treason in 1963.
 Released in 1990
because of the
international pressure
from the world.

10. FAMOUS QUOTE
 “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.”
 “Education is the most powerful weapon which you
can use to change the world.”

11. INFLUENCES
 Influence on civil rights, human equality, peace and
forgiveness
 Improved citizens’ lives
 Built schools and hospitals
 Formed a multiethnic government to oversee the
country’s transition
 A devoted champion for peace and social justice in his
own nation and around the world

12. CHARACTER & CURRENT STATE
OF AFFAIRS
- Very determined on his goals.
- Merciful & a generous soul
- Extensive charitable work, including the creation of the
Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela
Children’s Fund, and the 46664.
- Died on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung
infection
- Current president of South Africa: Jacob Zuma

13. WORK CITED
 Mandela, Nelson. Long Walk to Freedom: The
Autobiography of Nelson Mandela. Little, Brown and
Co., Boston, 1994.
 "Nelson Mandela - Biographical". Nobelprize.org.
Nobel Media AB 2013. Web. 5 Jun 2014.
<http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laure
ates/1993/mandela-bio.html>
 "Nelson Mandela." Kid's Biography:. Ducksters, n.d.
Web. 03 June 2014.
 "Nelson Mandela." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, n.d. Web. 04 June 2014.

14. QUESTIONS
 1. What does Mandela symbolize for his people?
 2. Do you feel the government was justified for
imprisoning Mandela for 27 years? Explain.
 3. What is the social change that Mandela wants to
make?
 4. Do you think Mandela used soft power or hard
power or both? Explain.