Nelson Mandela

After twenty-seven years in prison, Nelson Mandela was elected

president of his country. His primary goal was to convince blacks and

whites of the power and wisdom of forgiveness.

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When Nelson Mandela was young, racism was not only perfectly legal in South Africa, it
was the law!
Black people were not allowed to vote, go to the same schools, shop in the same stores,
or live in the same areas as white people. The system was called apartheid, and people
were jailed if they spoke out against it.
Mandela was one of many people who fought against apartheid. At first, as a young
lawyer, he tried to combat it through the legal system. But he got so angry with the
beatings, murders, and other mistreatment of black people that he started urging them to
fight back... to meet violence with violence.
As a result of his actions, he was arrested and sentenced to prison for life. Even in prison,
because he was black, he got worse treatment than the white prisoners - poor food, hard
labor such as breaking rocks in the hot sun, and only one letter or visitor every six
months.
Nelson Mandela spent twenty-seven years in those terrible conditions. In the meantime,
the world outside South Africa became more aware of, and more opposed to, apartheid.
Around the globe, people and governments demanded justice, including freedom for
Mandela.