Chris Van Wyk

Nelson Mandela became the first democratically elected President of South Africa in 1994. In his story, he explained his struggle against apartheid. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 and he continued to be a voice of freedom and justice throughout the world. Nelson Mandela was ruled by white people only in his country. As Mandela grew older, he sees that things are not fair. I learned that he wanted to change this way of government so everyone had a say. Mandela and his friends called it, struggle for freedom. However, the struggle lasted for years, Mandela was one of the fighters. It was interesting when he went to Methodist mission school and is renamed Nelson by his teacher. His father Henry died, so he lived with Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo. Later, Mandela was arrested and he was sentenced to life in prison. But, thousands of people sign the release Mandela petition in 1980-1981. Lastly, Mandela was released from prison in 1990 and he votes for the first time in South Africa in 1994. I enjoyed this story about Nelson Mandela, he is one of my favorite civil rights leaders. He inspires others and he kept on fighting for our freedom. He believes that he will lead black people against the Apartheid government and he did. He is a true leader who believes in change by making sure his voice is heard across generations. Nelson Mandela wanted peace, democracy, and freedom for all. His story made me understand what he went through. This story was well written by Nelson Mandela and it caught my attention.… (mehr)

This biography is an abridged version of Nelson Mandela's auto-biography, adjusted to be more palatable for children. I knew of Nelson Mandela before reading this book, though I didn't know exactly what he did; the most I knew was that he was an important figure in South Africa's civil rights movement. The biography is very interesting and well-explained, without being confusing. Mandela was an extremely important figure in South Africa. In 1952, he set up the first black law firm in South Africa with his friend Oliver Tambo. Mandela and some of his friends also formed the ANC Youth League, an organization that peacefully protested so black people in South Africa would have the freedom to rule themselves, since white people ruled over black people at the time. When apartheid was introduced in 1948, the ANC Youth League led a large protest called the Defiance Campaign, which encouraged black people to ignore the "Whites only" entrances on buildings and public transport that apartheid had introduced. The government banned Mandela from participating in ANC related activities, but he continued his work with the group in secret. In 1955, a group that had formed called the Congress Alliance created a charter to fight for democracy in South Africa and freedom for black people. In response, Mandela and 155 other people were arrested by the government, but where found not guilty after a four-year long trial. After police violence against protestors and the bans against the ANC were put in place, Mandela and many others knew violence was the only answer, with many, including Mandela, using fake identities to fight apartheid. Mandela and several other members of the ANC were arrested and were sent to prison for life. After 27 years, they were released due to the public's demand for their freedom. Mandela met with the then-President of South Africa, and the two talked about how the country needed a democracy. Changes were made, and Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa.… (mehr)

Nelson Mandela went to his first day of school with a rope for a belt. When his father died, he moved in with his Uncle Jongi, and his uncle gave him an education. He met friends, and then he moved to a big town where blacks were oppressed. He started a new group called ANC, and he was the leader. First, they tried peaceful protests in South Africa. That was not successful, so they then attempted violent protest. Nelson and some of his colleagues were arrested and stuck in prison for 27 years. He was released due to the help of people all around the world protesting his arrest. He then became the first South African president to be elected by all of the people.… (mehr)