Nelson+Mandela

by Daria and Kaiya Grade 6

In 1964 Mandela was accused of trying to overthrow the government and was sent to prison for twenty six years. In 1990 he was released from prison. He was still the leader of Black South Africa’s fight for freedom. In April, 1994 his glory all around the world led to the first all-race election in South Africa. Nelson Mandela become the president of South Africa.He was South Africa’s first Black president. He motivated his people to do what was right and fight for their rights. He was a man who wasn’t afraid to do anything for his people’s freedom, and that’s exactly what he did.

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918. His tribal name was Rolihlahla. He grew up in a village called Qunu in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was the only son born to his m other and father and was the youngest out of four children. Nelson was a big help to his father when the fields had to be plowed and the sheep taken care of. When Nelson finished all his chores he learned to fight with sticks, went hunting and played some soccer.

When M andela was twelve his father died and he was sent off to live with his uncle. While Mandela was with his uncle he met up with a friend named Walter Sisulu. Sisulu and Mandela were very close. Sisulu was the man that Mandela ran to get advice from. He also got Mandela a job. Mandela also took the initiative to keep studying for his law degree.

Nelson Mandela joined the African National Congress, a political group formed by Blacks to fight for equal rights and protest apartheid. Mandela and his close friends Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu formed the ANC Youth league in 1944 to communicate an even more focused message. Nelson organized strikes and wrote speeches and articles. He later was banned from all the meetings by the police, but that didn’t stop Nelson.

In 1956 the police broke into Nelson’s house in the middle of the night and arrested him. That still didn't stop Nelson. Mandela started teaching the prisoners about segregation so they could fight for their lives, too. The court sentenced him for five years and he was immediately taken to Pretoria Central Prison. Mandela refused to eat or to change into prison clothing. As punishment he was put into solitary confinement for two months. Eventually he decided to eat and change his clothes so he could survive.

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